As  A  MAN   THINKS 


Arorsrrs  THOMAS 
(From  a  portrait  bust  by  Robert  I.  Aitken) 


AS  A  MAN  THINKS 

A  PLAY  IN  FOUR  ACTS 


BY 

AUGUSTUS  THOMAS 


NEW  YORK 
DUFFIELD  &  COMPANY 

1913 


fin 


HPHIS  play  is  fully  protected  by  the 
copyright  law,  all  requirements 
oj  which  have  been  complied 
with.  In  its  present  printed 
form  it  is  dedicated  to  the  reading  public  only, 
and  no  performance  of  it  may  be  given,  except 
by  special  arrangement  with  the  owner  of  the 
acting  rights,  who  may  be  addressed  in  care  of 
the  publisher. 


COPYRIGHT,  1911 
DUFFIELD    &    COMPANY 


CAST 

of  the 

First  presentation  at  the  3Qth  Street  Theatre, 
New  York,  March  1 3th,  IQII. 


The  characters  are  named  in 
ance. 

VEDAH     .... 
Dr.  SEELIG      . 
HOLLAND,  Seelig's  footman 
BUTLER 
Mrs.   CLAYTON 
JULIAN  BURRILL  . 
BENJAMIN  DE  LOTA       . 
FRANK  CLAYTON   . 
Mrs.  SEELIG     . 
SUTTON,  Clayton's  footman 
Miss    DOANE    . 
Judge   HOOVER 
DICK 


the  order  of  their  appear- 

CHARLOTTE  IVES 

JOHN  MASON 

.   JAMES  VINCENT 

RALPH  SAMONE 

CHRYSTAL  HERNE 

VINCENT  SERRANO 

WALTER  HALE 

JOHN  FLOOD 

AMELIA  GARDNER 

W.  B.  SADLER 

GAIL  KANE 

WILLIAM  SAMPSON 

RAYMOND  HACKETT 


ACT    I. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS 


ACT    ONE 


CENE:  Drawing  Room  of  the  residence 
of  DOCTOR  SEELIG.  Two  small  sofas 
set  at  right  angles  to  the  fireplace  form 
a  kind  of  inglenook.  At  the  outer  ends 
of  the  sofas  are  two  marble  pedestals, 
each  surmounted  by  an  antique  vase. 

Time:  An  afternoon  in  late  September.  VEDAH  SEELIG, 
a  young  girl,  is  at  the  piano  and  playing.  After  a  few 
bars  there  is  the  sound  of  a  door  closing.  VEDAH  listens, 
then  speaks. 


Papa? 
Yes. 

Alone? 


VEDAH. 
SEELIG. 
VEDAH. 
SEELIG. 


Alone.      [He  enters  from  the  hall.     VEDAH  meets  and 
kisses  him.}     Mother  home? 


VEDAH. 


She  is  lying  down. 


10  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

S  E  B  I,  I  G. 
Is  mother  ill? 

V  E  D  A  H. 
Only  resting. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Ah— where  is  the  tea? 

VED  AH. 
It  isn't  time. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
[Regarding  his  watch.]  Quarter  of  five. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[Laughing.]     But  no  company. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Company?  My  dear  Vedah.  Tea  with  me  is  not  a  func- 
tion— it's  a  stimulant.  [He  calls  to  a  footman  pasting.] 
Holland. 

HOLLAND. 

[Pouting  at  doorway.]     Yes,  sir. 

S  E  E  L  i  o. 

Tell  the  butler— some  tea. 
[HOLLAND  goes. 

VEDAH. 
Now,  Papa. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

[Affectionately  imitating  her.]  "Now,  Papa."  You 
want  to  drive  me  into  dissipation. 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  11 

V  E  D  A  H. 

But  the  others  will  think  they're  late. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  shan't  grudge  them  that  accuracy — they  are  late.  I 
don't  wonder  at  some  of  them,  but  I'm  astonished  at 
De  Lota. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[Pause.]    De  Lota? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Yes. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Is  Mr.  De  Lota  coming? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  asked  him  to  come. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Why? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Meet  your  artist — 

V  E  D  A  H. 

But,  Papa— 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Playfully.]     Well,  scold  me. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

But — Papa. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

First  to  famish  for  a  little  tea — and  then  to  be  repri- 
manded for  inviting  a  prospective  son-in-law. 


12  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

VED  AH. 
I  don't  want  Mr.  Burrill  and  Mr.  De  Lota  to  meet. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Not  meet—? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Just  yet. 

S  E  E  L  I  O. 

Why  not? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

I  haven't  told  anybody  of  my  engagement  to  Mr.  De  Lota. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Well? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Well — he  carries  himself  so — so — 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Proudly? 

VED  AH. 

So  much  like  a  proprietor  that  it's  hard  to  explain  to 
others — strangers  especially. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

By  "strangers  especially"  you  mean  Mr.  Burrill? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Yes. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Is  Mr.  Bun-ill's  opinion  important? 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  13 

V  E  D  A  H. 

His  refinement  is  important. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Refinement? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Yes — the  quality  that  you  admire  in  men — the  quality 
that  Mr.  De  Lota  sometimes  lacks. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
When — for  example? 

V  E  D  A  H. 
I've  just  told  you. 

S  E  E  L,  I  G. 

Well,  tell  me  again. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
When  he  gives  the  impression  of — of — owning  me. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Pause.]     But  after  all,  isn't  there  a  compliment  in  that? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

There's  considerable  annoyance  in  it. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Oh — [A  butler  enters,  gets  tea  table,  which  he  places 
center  and  goes  out.]  If  you  and  De  Lota  announced  your 
engagement  his  manner  might — seem  more  natural — to 
strangers  especially. 


14  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

V  E  D  A  H. 

I  don't  wish  it  announced. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
It  was  to  have  been  announced  in  September,  wasn't  it? 

VED  AH. 
I  know — but  I'm  waiting. 

HOLLAND. 
[Appearing  in  doorway  and  announcing.]     Mrs.  Clayton. 

[Mas.  ELINOR  CLAYTON,  a  blonde  and  blue-eyed 
woman  of  delicate  charm  and  distinction  enters. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Elinor!     [Kisses  her.]      How  good  of  you  to  come  so 
early. 

E  L  I  N.O  R. 

Doctor. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Shaking  hands  with  MRS.  CLAYTON.]     Elinor. 

ELINOR. 
[Seeing  the  empty  tea  table.]     Am  I  the  first? 

V  E  D  A  H. 
The  very  first. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
If  I'm  not — counted. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  15 

E  I,  I  N  O  E. 

You're  first  in  every  situation,  Doctor.  [To  VEDAH.]  I 
hope  to  have  a  moment  with  your  father  before  the  others 
call. 

VEDAH. 
Professionally  ? 

ELINOR. 
Don't  I  look  the  invalid?     How's  your  mother? 

VEDAH. 
Fine,  thank  you. 

E  L  i  N  o  E. 

And  to  see  her  on  a  matter  about  as  unimportant  as  my 
medical  errand. 

VEDAH. 
I'll  leave  you  together  while  I  tell  Mama. 

[She  goes  out. 

ELINOR. 
[Sitting.']     When  I  came  to  see  you  last  time — ? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Yes? 

ELINOR. 
You  told  me  the  truth  about  myself? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
My  dear  Mrs.  Clayton. 


16  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

ELINOR. 

Of  course  you  did  as  far  as  you  told  me  anything,  but  I 
thought  you  might  be  withholding  something. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  don't  know  a  woman  in  better  physical  condition.     [He 
takes  a  chair  beside  her. 

ELINOR. 
Well,  I  want  you  to  give  me  something  to  make  me  sleep. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Sleep! 

ELINOR. 

I  wake  about  four  in  the  morning  and — stay  awake. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
How  often  has  this  happened? 

ELINOR. 
Ever  since  I  came  to  see  you — and  a  week  before  that. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
'M — [Pause.]     Anything  troubling  you? 

ELINOR. 

No. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Do  you  stay  wide  awake  or — only  partly  so? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  17 

ELINOR. 


Awake. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Thinking? 

ELINOR. 

Yes. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Of  what? 

ELINOR. 
Oh — everything. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
But  principally — ? 

ELINOR. 
Principally—  [Pause.]  That  old  trouble  at  Atlantic  City. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Anything  in  Frank's  conduct  to  revive  that? 

E  L  i  N  o  *. 
No— but— 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

What? 

ELINOR. 

I  think — sometimes  that  I   felt  that  trouble  more  than 
any  of  us — even  /  thought  I  felt  it. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
You  forgave  Frank,  didn't  you? 

ELINOR. 
Yes — but  it  was  a  good  deal  for  a  wife  to  overlook. 


18  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

You  mean  you  didn't  forgive  him? 

ELINOR. 

I  mean  the  hurt  was  deeper  than  I  knew — deeper  than  I 
could  know  except  as  time  taught  me  its  depth. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Your  thoughts  on  that  are  what  wake  you  in  the  early 
morning? 

ELINOR. 
And  keep  me  awake. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Well,  let's  talk  about  it. 

ELINOR. 

I  don't  wish  to  talk  about  it,  Doctor. 

[She  moves  to  a  seat  near  the  window. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

In  surgery  we  sometimes  find  a  condition  where  a  wound 
has  healed  too  quickly  and  on  the  surface  only.  The  treat- 
ment is  to  re-open  it  entirely.  A  mental  trouble  has  its 
analogy.  Better  talk  of  it.  [He  goes  to  a  seat  beside  her.] 
Frank  was  foolish.  Under  the  law  you  might  have  aban- 
doned him  to  his  folly.  In  that  case,  with  his  temperament 
—  [Pause.]  Two  years?  He'd  have  been — well — "a  fail- 
ure" is  too  gentle  a  description.  As  it  is,  consider  his  ad- 
vancement in  the  two  years — his  development — power.  All 
due  to  your  wisdom,  my  dear  Elinor — to  your  wisdom  and 
forbearance — to  your  love  for  him — [Pause.]  That  sums 
it  up — you  do  love  him. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  19 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

[Earnestly.]     Yes. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Frank  is  important — he  influences  public  opinion  with  his 
magazines  and  papers.  He  addresses  an  audience  of  two 
millions,  let  us  say.  In  the  great  scheme  of  the  world  Frank 
is  a  factor — a  big  factor — isn't  he  ? 

ELINOR. 
Yes — I  suppose  he  is. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Cheeringly. .]  Well,  there  you  are.  Your  abiding  love 
for  him  made  all  the  difference  between  success  and  failure. 
All  the  forces  radiating  from  Frank  really  do  so  because  of 
your  loyalty  at  a  supreme  moment.  That's  a  large  com- 
mission, isn't  it?  The  fates  made  you  their  chosen  instru- 
ment— their  deputy.  If  Frank  hadn't  needed  help  you 
couldn't  have  given  it,  could  you? 

E  LINOE 

Of  course  not. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Rising  energetically.]  Well,  don't  regret  having  been 
useful — be  proud  of  it. 

ELINOR. 

But  a  man  who  has  once  committed  such  a  fault — may  do 
so  again. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Pleasantly.]  You're  assuming  that  we  learn  nothing 
from  our  mistakes — we  men. 


20  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

E  L  i  N  o  E. 
Well,  do  you? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
[SmiKng.]  As  a  physician— I'd  hate  to  tell  you  how 

much. 

ELINOR. 

I  couldn't  go  through  it  again. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
You  won't  have  to. 

ELINOR. 

[Going  to  SEKLIG.]    And  you  won't  give  me  anything  for 
my  insomnia? 

S  E  E  1,  I  G. 

Isn't  a  point  of  view  something? 

ELINOR. 
Yes,  if  I  can  take  it. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

You  did  take  it.     I  saw  the  care  go  out  of  those  eyes— 
and  the  peace  come  into  them. 

ELINOR. 

[Pause.]     You're  a  dear.     [She  gratefully  and  impulsive- 
ly takes  SEELIG'S  hand. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
May  I  come  in? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Yes. 

[VEDAH  enters. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  21 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mama  wants  you  to  come  up,  Elinor. 

ELINOR. 

Yes — [As  VEDAH  starts  with  her.}     Oh,  I'll  go  alone. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

But  don't  desert  me  entirely. 
[ELINOR  goes  out. 

S  E  E  ~L  I  G. 
Mama  not  coming  down? 

VEDAH. 
No. 

[The  BUTLER  enters  with  tea  service — lighted 
lamp,  etc.,  which  he  puts  on  the  table  and  goes 
out. 

S  E  E  :L  I  G. 
When  did  you  first  meet  Mr.  Burrill? 

VEDAH. 
With  you — at  his  exhibition. 

S  E  E  "L  I  G. 

That  was  in  September. 

VEDAH. 
Yes. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Pause.]     Vedah,  I  want  to  help  Mr.  Burrill— 


22  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

VED  AH. 
He  has  a  lot  of  talent. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I'm  going  to  take  down  my  beautiful  vases  De  Lota  gave 
us.  [He  caresses  a  vase  on  one  of  the  pedestals. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

They're  deadly — 

S  E  E  L,  I  G. 

And  put  up  Mr.  Burrill's  statuettes — 

V  E  D  A  H. 

That's  helping  ourselves. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I'm  going  to  enlist  Clayton  in  Mr.  Burrill's  fight  with 
the  architects. 

VED  AH. 

That's  "copy"  for  Clayton's. 

S  E  E  1. 1  G. 
But  Mr.  Burrill  is  [Pause.]  not  a  Jew. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[Pouring  tea.]  There's  no  race  nor  religion  to  art,  is 
there? 

S  E  E  1,  I  G. 

There  frequently  is  to  the  artist.  [Tenderly.]  Careful, 
my  pet.  Remember — your  happiness  will  be — with  your 
own  race. 

[VEDAH  gives  SEELIG  his  tea. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  23 

HOLLAND. 
[Appears  and  announces.]     Mr.  Burrill. 

VED  AH. 
Show  Mr.  Burrill  in. 

[HOLLAND  goes. 

S  E  E  i,  I  G. 
Second  call  this  week,  isn't  it? 

V  E  D  A  H. 
Yes. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

You  know,  he  has  some  rights. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
You  mean — ? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

His  heart — 

[Enter   BURRILL,  a  young   man   of   twenty-eight 
years. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Good  afternoon. 

B  U  R  B  I  L  L. 

How  do  you  do?     [They  shake  hands. 
S  E  E  L  I  G. 

How  are  you? 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L. 

Fine,  thank  you. 


24  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Any  more  news  of  the  court  house  decoration? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Nothing  different. 

VED  AH. 
How  will  you  take  your  tea,  Mr.  Burrill? 

B  u  R  R  1 1.  L. 

Submissively.     I  take  it  only  because  I  admire  its  prep- 
aration. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

We  still  struggle  along  with  our  vases.      [He  indicates 
the  vases  on  the  pedestals. 

BURRILL. 
I  understand  your  reluctance  to  move  them. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Only  waiting  for  your  statuettes. 

BURRILL. 
They  haven't  come? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

No. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

I  think  they  did,  Papa.     Something  dreadfully  heavy 
came  this  morning. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  25 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Well! 

V  E  D  A  H. 

I  was  afraid  to  unpack  them. 

BURRILL. 

[Laughing.]     They're  bronze. 

[VEDAH  gives  BURRILL  his  tea.    She  then  goes  to 
the  door  and  pushes  the  electric  button. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Do  you  know  Clayton — the  publisher — Clayton's  maga- 
zine? 

BURRILL. 
Reputation. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
He's  a  live  wire — Clayton. 

BURRILL. 
Yes. 

[The  BUTLER  enters. 

VEDAH. 
The  expressman  brought  a  package  this  morning? 

BUTLER. 
Yes,  M'm — two  statues. 

VEDAH. 
How  do  you  know? 


26  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

B  U  T  L  E  E. 

I  opened  it. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

You  opened  it! 

BUTLER. 
[Looking  to  SKELIG.]     Mrs.  Seelig  told  me  to  open  it. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mama  told  him  to  open  it.     Would  you  have  thought  it? 

SEELIG. 
[To  BURRILL.J     How  was  the  box  addressed? 

B  u  R  E  i  L  L. 
To  you. 

SEELIG. 
[Dryly.]  I  would  have  thought  it — yes — 

VED  AH. 
Bring  the  statuettes  here. 

BUTLER. 

They  are  in  Mrs.  Seelig's  room. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

I'll  go  with  you  and  get  them — Excuse  me — 
[VEDAH  and  the  BUTLER  yo  out. 

SEELIG. 
I've  asked  Clayton  to  drop  in  on  his  way  uptown. 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  27 

B  u  R  R  1 1,  L. 
I  shall  be  glad  to  meet  him. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Mrs.  Clayton  is  here.     Have  you  met  her? 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L. 

No. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

She  was  a  Miss  Hoover.     Judge  Hoover's  daughter. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

[Nodding.]      The  newspapers  keep  one  pretty  well  in- 
formed. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Unfortunate,  that  notoriety. 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L. 

Can't  be  agreeable. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Prosperity  tries  a  man  more  than  poverty  does — 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
So  I've  read — 

S  E  E  L,  I  G. 

Clayton  makes  two  millions  a  year  from  his  publications — 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
Think  of  it ! 


28  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

His  temptations  were  proportionate  to  his  sudden  success 
and — well,  she  is  a  most  sensible  woman. 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L. 

Forgave  everything  I  believe. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Not  too  meekly — I  assure  you — but — they  have  a  little 
boy  and — as  I  say — she  is  a  most  sensible  woman.  As  for 
Clayton — well  I  guess  Clayton  is  sufficiently  contrite. 

VEDAH   and   the    BUTLER    re-enter,   the    BUTLER 
carries  two  bronze  figurines. 

VEDAH. 

[Indicating  a  pedestal.]     I  think  the  girl  on  that  pillar — 
And  the  man  on  that  one — 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I'd  put  the  girl  here — 

VEDAH. 
Why? 

S  E  ELIG. 

See  it  first.  [He  takes  the  female  figure  from  the  BUT- 
LER who  places  the  male  figure  on  the  floor  and  goes  out. 

VEDAH. 
She's  too  darling  for  anything. 

S  E  E  L,  i  G. 

[Placing  the  statuette  on  the  tea  table.]  Your  figures  are 
even  handsomer  here,  than  at  the  exhibition. 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  29 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

The  room  helps  them. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[With  the  statuette  which  he  displays.]     Look,  Vedah! 
Isn't  she  graceful  in  every  view? 

VEDAH. 

She  is. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Do  you  know  your  nymph  reminds  me  of  those  stunning 
little  things  by  Theodore  Riviere? 

B  u  a  R  i  L  L,. 

That's  very  interesting.     The  girl  that  posed  for  this 
was  a  model  for  Riviere. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Playfully.']   Well,  there  you  are — I  shall  set  up  as  a 
connoisseur. 

VEDAH. 
You  promised  to  bring  her  photograph. 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
I  have  brought  it. 

S  E  E  L,  I  G. 
[Half  anxiously. ~\     But — posing? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Oh,  no — street  costume. 


30  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Oh— 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

There— [He   takes  a  photograph  from   his   pocket  and 
hands  it  to  VEDAH. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Sitting  comfortably.}   I  don't  know  why  sculpture  is  so 
much  more  modest  than  photography — but — it  is. 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
The  artist  is  a  mediator. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Does  that  explain  it? 

B  U  R  R  I  I,  L. 

Doesn't  it? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  don't  know — I've  never  been  an  artist. 

VEDAH. 
Nor  a  photographer. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Nor,  for  that  matter,  a  beautiful  female  model. 

VEDAH. 

[Carrying  the  photograph  to  SEELIO.]     See,  Papa — isn't 
that  face  angelic? 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  31 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

It  is — It  is — [To  BURRILL.]  And  I  dare  say  the  lady 
herself  was — [Indicates  abandon. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

No — she  wasn't  a  bad  sort.     She  has  a  right  to  the  face. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[With  girlish  enthusiasm.]  Those  eyes,  Fapa!  And 
that  beautiful  nose  and  mouth.  Why,  anybody  could  love 
her. 

BURRILL. 
Well — a  good  many  did. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
Of  whom  does  she  make  you — think? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Some  player. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
Duse. 

[SEELIO  nods. 

BURRILL. 
The  resemblance  is  often  remarked. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

She  should  have  been  an  actress. 

BURRILL. 
[Shaking  his  head.]     She  tried  acting  and  failed. 


32  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Did  you  see  her? 

B  u  R  R  i  L,  L,. 

Before  my  time.  Antoine  gave  her  a  very  good  chance  in 
his  theatre,  but — she  was  only  a  model. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Yes,  if  Antoine  couldn't  make  her  act. 

[VEDAH  returns  the  photograph  to  BURRILL. 

BURRILL. 

But — a  fine  girl  for  all  that — warm  hearted — most  grate- 
ful to  the  man  who  had  got  her  the  chance. 

VEDAH. 

Well,  if  anybody  got  me  a  place  in  Antoine's  theatre  I'd 
be  grateful.  [She  returns  to  the  statuette  examining  it 
closely.]  I'm  sorry  we  can't  see  her  mouth. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

You  can't?     [Also  examines  the  statuette. 

B  U  E  R  I  L  L. 

No — our  early  Greeks  played  with  those  pipes  tied  to  the 
face. 

VEDAH. 
I'm  going  to  put  her  on  her  pedestal. 

BURRILL,. 
Let  me.    [He  takes  the  statuette  from  the  table. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  33 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Take  your  old  vases,  Papa. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
Old  vases! 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Taking  the  vases  from  the  pedestals.]  The  finest  speci- 
mens in  America,  Mr.  Burrill. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L.  •*» 

Exquisite — where  did  you  find  them. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Benjamin  De  Lota  brought  them  from  Genoa.  De  Lota 
does  art  and  music  for  Clayton ! 

BURRILL. 
Charming. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  shall  promote  them  to  my  library.  [He  goes  toward 
the  door.]  I — I  regard  them  somewhat  as  a  bribe. 

BURRILL. 
A  bribe? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[Expostulating.]     Papa ! 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

De  Lota  gave  them  to  me — and  in  the  same  interview 
asked  me  to — to  become  his  father-in-law — an  intimate  and 
antique  relation — a  time-honored  method.  [Regards  vases.] 
Ah,  well.  [SEELIG  goes  out  through,  the  library  door. 


34  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

B  U  R  R  I  I-  L. 
[Dashed  with  the  news.']     His  father-in-law. 

VEDA  H. 

You  hadn't  heard?  [BURRILL  shakes  head,  avoiding  her 
gaze.]  Why,  yes.  [Pause.]  May  I  pour  you  some  more 
tea? 

BURRILL. 
No,  thank  you.     [He  walks  away. 

E  D  A  H. 
Do  you  know  Mr.  De  Lota? 

BURRILL. 
No. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

He  wrote  that  beautiful  notice  in  Clayton's  about  your 
work. 

BURRILL. 
[Moodily  at  window.]     I  know  his  articles,  of  course. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Shan't  we  put  up  the  dancing  man  too? 

BURRILL. 

[Rousing  himself.]  Let  me.  [He  puts  the  male  figurine 
on  the  second  pedestal. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

They  go  well  there,  don't  they? 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  35 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Very  well. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Attendant  spirits  of  my  fireside. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

They  are  honored. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Do  -ou  know  why  I  like  them? 

B  U  K  R  I  L  L. 

Why? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[Impressively.']  They  are  just  a  girl  and  a  man — noth- 
ing more — with  their  pan  pipes — their  freedom — the  joy  of 
existence — 

B  IT  R  R  I  L  L. 

[Forcing  a  gayety.]     That  sounds  like  paganism. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

I  am  a  pagan. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 
And  the  gentleman  ? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mr.  De  Lota? 

B  IT  R  R  I  L  L. 

Yes. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mr.  De  Lota — is  a  Jew. 


36  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L. 

[Pause,]     Well,  I'm  a  pagan  myself — a  Walter  Pater 
pagan. 

VED  A  H. 

Oh,  yes.     I,  too,  must  have  the  sunshine,  the  poetry,  the 
festivals. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

And  you  saw  somewhat  of  that  in  my  little  figures? 
VED  AH. 


Yes— 


B  TT  R  R  I  L  L. 


You  hinted  as  much  that  day  at  the  exhibition — thou- 
sands had  walked  by  and  looked  at  their  catalogues — but 
you — only  you — interpreted  them.  I  can't  tell  you  how 
much  that  meant  to  me. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
I  wonder  if  you  know — that  we — [Pause. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

We  what? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Were  never  introduced  to  each  other. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 

I  hug  that  to  my  memory. 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  37 

VE  D  AH. 

A  friend  offered — but  I  fibbed.  I  said  I  knew  you  al- 
ready. An  introduction  would  have  been — well — [Rises 
impatiently. 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L,. 

What? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

A  straight-jacket  on  your  dancer.  [She  pauses  and 
comes  near  him.]  But  it  has  been  wrong  to  make  you  call 
here,  hasn't  it? 

B  IT  R  R  I  L  L. 
Has  it? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Tell  me. 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L. 

[With  renewed  fervor.]  Not  if  they  are  really  to  be  the 
attendant  spirits. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[Evading  his  manner  and  going  to  the  first  statuette.] 
Why  did  you  get  her  a  place  in  Antoine's  theatre? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

I  didn't. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Then  how  do  you  know  she  was  grateful? 

B  U  R  R  I  I,  L. 

The  man  who  got  her  the.  place — afterwards  committed — 
committed  a  crime  and  was  on  trial  in  Paris.  Mimi  had 


S8 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS 


then  become  a  model  and  was  posing  for  Riviere  and  me 
and  other  artists.     She  dragged  us— Antoine— Riviere— me 

everybody — to  the  court  house  in  a  frenzied  effort  to 

free  him. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
Maybe  she  loved  him. 

B  u  R  E  i  L  -L. 

I  think  not — simply  gratitude  for  his  interest.    But  that's 
a  rare  virtue. 

[Mas.  ELINOR  CLAYTON  returns  to  the  room. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mrs.  Clayton,  may   I   present  Mr.   Julian  Burrill,  the 
sculptor. 

ELINOR. 
Mr.  Burrill.     [She  gives  BURRILL  her  hand. 

VED  AH. 
Mrs.  Clayton  is  the  Mrs.  Clayton. 

E  L  i  N  o  E. 

You  must  look  as  though  you  knew. 

B  U  R  E  I  L,  L. 

My  struggle  is  to  conceal,  my  knowledge — 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

[To  VEDAH.]     All  that  you've  told  me  of  him  seems  to 
be  true. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  39 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

So  quickly? 

V  E  D  A  H. 
One  or  two  lumps?     And  look  at  my  Greek  playmates. 

ELINOR. 

[Seeing  the  statuettes.]  Charming.  [To  VEDAII.]  Two 
please.  [She  turns  to  the  dancing  nymph.]  Think  of  want- 
ing to  vote  when  one  may  do  that. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Exactly. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

And  cream? 

ELINOR. 
Lemon  please.    [To  BURRILL.]     You're  a  dangerous  man. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

I? 

ELINOR. 
With  that  degree  of  flattery. 

B  u  R  R  1  L  L. 

That's  a  servile  portrait. 

ELINOR. 
ReaUy? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Show  Mrs.  Clayton  the  photograph. 


40  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

[Passing  the  photo  to  ELINOR.]     Model. 

ELINOR. 

I  know  this  woman. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Resembles  Duse. 

ELINOR. 
In  Paris. 

B  U  E  R  I  L  L. 

Yes. 

ELINOR. 
She  writes  for  the  papers. 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
I  hardly  think  writes  for  the  papers. 

ELINOR. 

French  papers — yes.  And  she  represents  Mr.  Clayton's 
publications. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

I  shouldn't  have  thought  it. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

You've  met  her? 

ELINOR. 

A  moment — yes — in  this  same  hat  and  gown.  [She  hands 
the  photograph  to  VEDAH.]  Mr.  Clayton  said  she  spoke 
no  English  though  she  understood  it  fairly.  Frank  intro- 
duced her  as  a  writer — she  smiled  assent — 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  41 

BURRILL. 

[Reclaiming  the  photograph.]     Possible. 

HOLLAND. 
[Entering  and  announcing.]     Mr.  De  Lota. 

[BENJAMIN  DE  LOTA  enters.  He  is  a  tall — ag- 
gressive and  intellectual  Spanish  Jew  of  thirty- 
five  years  or  so. 

[HOLLAND  goes  out. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Good  afternoon. 

D  E  LOTA. 
[Taking  her  hand  with  much  manner.]     Vedah. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mrs.  Clayton  you  know? 

D  E  LOTA. 
Yes — how  are  you. 

[ELINOR  nods  to  him. 

VEDAH. 
And  let  me  introduce  Mr.  Burrill. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Mr.  Burrill.     [The  men  shake  hands. 
BURRILL. 

[Seriously.]      I've  an  impression  of  having  met  you  in 
Paris. 


42  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

D  E  LOTA. 

I'm  often  there. 

V  E  D  A  H. 


Some  tea? 


D  E  LOTA. 


Not  any,  thank  you.  [To  ELINOR.]  I  thought  Frank 
was  to  be  here? 

ELINOR. 
He  is. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Good.  [To  BURRILL.]  Doctor  Seelig  has  told  Frank — 
Mrs.  Clayton's  husband — about  your  row  with  the  archi- 
tects. 

BURRILL. 
I  hardly  call  it  a  row. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Better  call  it  a  row  and  make  it  a  row  or  you'll  never  get 
a  chance  at  the  big  sculpture.  Once  let  a  ring  do  all  the 
work  and  you  young  fellows  can  starve  or  be  journeymen. 
Thank  God,  Clayton's  a  Westerner,  believes  in  the  open 
shop. 

BURRILL. 
We  want  his  influence,  but  not  to  involve  him. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Magazines  must  print  something.  [He  goes  to  ELINOR.] 
Frank  will  clasp  him  and  his  row  to  our  bosom  witli  hooks 
of  steel,  won't  he? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

E  LINOP 

How  do  you  spell  steel? 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  follow  the  market.     [To  VEDAH.]     Where's  Papa? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Finding  the  post  of  honor  in  his  library  for  your-vases. 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Noting  the  pedestals.]     Oh — yours? 

B  U  R  B  I  L  L. 

Yes. 

D  E  LOTA. 
[Regarding  the  dancing  girl.]     Charming. 

ELINOR. 

Does  she  impress  you  as  a  co-worker? 

D  E  LOTA. 
C  o- worker — no — co-respondent — yes. 

ELINOR. 
I  mean  as  a  fellow  member  of  the  profession? 

D  E  LOTA. 
Which  profession? 

ELINOR. 

Journalism. 


44  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

D  E  LOTA. 

By  nothing  except  the  willingness  to  increase  her  circu- 
lation. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mrs.  Clayton  says  the  lady  represents  your  magazine  in 
Paris. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  dare  say  I'm  dull — but — ? 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
Not  the  statuette — the  model — Mimi  Chardenet. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Mimi  Chardenet — Europa? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 
Yes. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Was  Mimi  your  model?     [BURRILL  nods.]     I  might  have 
known  it.     [He  turns  admiringly  to  the  bronze. 

ELINOR. 
Why  do  you  say  "Europa?" 

D  E  LOTA. 
Mimi  was  "Europa"  at  the  Quat'z  Arts  ball  this  year. 

ELINOR. 
Europa — mythological,  isn't  it? 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  45 

D  E  LOTA. 
Yes. 

VED  AH. 

[As  ELINOR  looks  to  her.]     I  remember  something  of  Eu- 
ropa  in  our  literature  class — must  be  all  right. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Disappointingly  proper. 

ELINOR. 
But  the  lady  at  the  ball? 

D  E  LOTA. 

Costume — well,  somewhat  less  than  this. 

ELINOR. 
Less? 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Nodding.']      Without    the    pipes — mounted    on    a    sleek 
black  bull  which  the  students  led  about  the  ball  room. 

ELINOR. 
Show  Mr.  De  Lota  the  photograph. 

D  E  LOTA. 
[Taking  photo  from  BURRILL.]     That's  Mimi. 

ELINOR. 
Let  me  have  it  again. 

[DE  LOTA  gives  ELINOR  the  photograph. 


46  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 
Can  she  possibly  have  also  written  ? 

D  E  LOTA. 
Mimi  a  blue  stocking?     I  leave  it  to  you. 

ELINOR. 
Frank  knows  this  woman. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Your  husband? 

ELINOR. 
Yes. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Of  course.     I  introduced  him. 

ELINOR. 

I  was  sure  of  it. 

[DE  LOTA  is  startled  by  ELINOR'S  seriousness. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Calling  from  the  library.]     Vedah. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Yes,  Papa. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

You  and  Mr.  Burrill  come  here  a  moment. 

VEDAH. 

[To  BURRILL.]   He  wants  us — [To  others.]   He  doesn't 
know  you  are  here. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  47 

D  E  LOTA. 
Don't  disturb  him  on  my  account. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
Your  vases  anyway — I  expect — 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L,. 
[Excusing  his  going.]      Pardon. 

[ELINOR  nods.    VEDAH  and  BURRILL  go  to  the  lib- 
rary. 

D  E  LOTA. 
[Alone  with  ELINOR.]     Well? 

ELINOR. 
Well? 

D  E  LOTA. 
We  do  meet,  don't  we? 

ELINOR. 
Vedah  didn't  tell  me  you  were  to  be  here. 

D  E  LOTA. 
The  Doctor  invited  me. 

ELINOR. 
Meetings  of  this  kind — I  can't  help. 

D  E  LOTA. 
But  you  won't  ask  me  to  your  home. 


48  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

ELINOR. 

Frank  asks  you. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I'll  come  when  you  ask  me. 

E  L  I  x  o  R. 
I  shan't  ask  you. 

D  E    LOTA. 

Why? 

E  1-  I  N  O  R. 

[Pause.]     You  know  why. 

D  E  LOTA. 
I  don't. 

ELINOR. 

[Going  to  the  statuette.]     This  model — you  say  you  in- 
roduced  Frank  to  her? 

DE  LOTA. 

Yes. 

ELINOR. 

When? 

D  E  LOTA. 
This  year. 

ELINOR. 
Where? 

D  E  LOTA. 

Paris — Quat'z  Arts  ball.     It  was  her  pose  as   Europ.n 
that  caught — Frank's — caught  his  eye. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  49 

ELINOR. 

I  remember  the  newspaper  comment  the  day  after.  On 
that  particular  night — Frank  went  to  a  meeting  of  the 
American  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

D  E  LOTA. 

So  did  I.  At  those  student  dances  the  interesting  things 
don't  begin  until  midnight. 

ELINOR. 


D  E  LOTA. 

[Insistently.]  But  you're  changing  the  subject.  Frank 
and  I  see  a  good  deal  of  each  other  at  the  office.  He  begins 
to  think  it  strange  I  don't  accept  his  invitations  to  the  house. 

ELINOR. 
Why  haven't  you? 

D  E  LOTA. 

He  said  he  wanted  me  to  call,  to  know  you  better — 
[Smiles.]  I  saw  you'd  told  him  nothing — so — I  await  your 
invitation. 

ELINOR. 

You  were  away  when  Frank  and  I  first  met.  [DE  LOTA 
nods.]  Away  when  we  married — [DE  LOTA  nods.]  I  sup- 
pose all  husbands  ask  their  wives  if  they've  ever  cared  for 
anyone  else — [She  leaves  the  fireplace  and  goes  to  the  win- 
dow. 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Pause.]     And  you  said — ? 


50  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

I  said  no.    Smile  if  you  wish  but — I  hadn't  loved  anyone 
as  I  loved  him. 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Following.]     Naturally. 

ELINOR. 
So  what  I  said  was  true. 

D  E  LOTA. 

By  the  feminine  standard — yes. 

ELINOR. 
That's  one  of  the  things  I  always  disliked  in  you,  Ben 

D  E  LOTA. 

What? 

ELINOR. 

Your  talk  of  feminine  standards  and   masculine   stand- 
ards.    In  morals  there  is  just  one  standard. 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Laughing.]     Were  there  many  other  things  you  disliked 
in  me? 

ELINOR. 
This  is  one  other. 

D  E  LOTA. 
What? 

ELINOR. 

Your  mood  of  cat-like  cruelty. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  51 

D  E  LOTA. 
Cruelty— cat-like? 

ELINOR. 

Yes — cruelty — and  it  goes  with  your  smile.  That  is 
like  a  cat's — your  manner  is  like  a  cat's.  When  you  play 
the  piano  it  is  a  cat  walking  on  the  keys. 

D  E  LOTA. 
There  were  times,  however,  when  you  asked  me  to  play. 

ELINOR. 
There  are  times  when  I  like  cats. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Elinor — [He  starts  impulsively   toward  her. 

ELINOR. 
[Avoiding  him.]     No — 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Regarding  her  with  admiration.]  Damn  it — we'd  have 
been  happy  together — you  and  I. 

ELINOR. 
No. 

D  E  LOTA. 

The  history  of  my  people  supports  me. 

ELINOR. 

Spanish  history? 


52  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

D  E  LOTA. 

Jewish  history.  Our  girls  have  often  been  unhappy 
when  they've  married  outside.  But  our  men — have  ab- 
sorbed the  women  of  other  races. 

ELINOR. 

You  mustn't  talk  to  me  in  that  strain.  [She  walks 
angrily  away.' 

D  E  LOTA. 

A  man  in  sentimental  bankruptcy  may  at  least  enumer- 
ate his  assets.  We  would  have  been  happy. 

ELINOR. 

No. 

DE  LO.T  A. 

One  of  us  would  have  been  happy,  of  that — I'm  sure. 
I  loved  you,  Elinor,  because  you  were  a  queen — me  you 
sacrificed  because — [Pause.]  I  was  a  Jew. 

ELINOR. 
And  because  you  are  a  Jew  you  still  speak  of  it. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Exactly. 

ELINOR. 

But  you  must  cease  to  speak  of  it. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Not  while  you  listen. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  53 

ELINOR. 

[Starting  toward  the  door.]  I  will  never  be  alone  with 
you  again. 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Interposing.]     Then  I  must  tell  you  now. 

ELINOR. 
[Commandingly.]     Play  something  or  I  shall  leave. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Thank  you — I  prefer  this  way  myself.  [He  laughs  and 
goes  to  the  piano  which  he  play  brilliantly  and  with  pas- 
sion. 

[SEELIG,  VEDAH  and  BURRILL  re-enter  in  turn  and 
join  ELINOR. 

[Enter  HOLLAND  who  whispers  to  SEELIG.  SEE- 
LIG  goes  out  with  HOLLAND  and  returns  with 
CLAYTON  as  piano  ceases. 

VEDAH. 

[Meeting  CLAYTON  and  shaking  his  hand.]  We  feared 
you  were  forgetting  us. 

CLAYTON. 
Never — [He  nods  to  his  wife.]  my  dear. 

VEDAH. 
Mr.  Clayton,  may  I  present  Mr.  Julian  Burrill. 

CLAYTON. 
[To  BURRILL.]     I  thought  you  an  older  man. 


'54  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

V  E  D  A  H. 

He  is.     [BURRILL  laughs.] 

CLAYTON. 
In  the  Salon  six  years  ago,  weren't  you? 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

Yes. 

CLAYTON. 
Medal,  if  I  remember? 

[BURRILL  nods.    CLAYTON  turns  to  SEELIG  with  a 
shrug. 

SEELIG. 

No  justice  at  all  in  the  discrimination  of  these  archi- 
tects. 

ELINOR. 

[Calmly.]      That  is   Mr.   Burrill's   latest   work.      [She 
indicates  the  dancing  figurine. 

CLAYTON. 

Charming. 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

Do  you  recognize  the  lady? 

CLAYTON. 

[Playfully.]      I'd  like  to. 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

Mimi  Chardenet. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  55 

CLAYTON. 
Chardenet? 

ELINOR. 

¥"011  must  remember — rode  the  black  bull  at  the  Quat'z 
Arts  ball. 

[A   swift  glance  passes  between  DE  LOTA  and 
CLAYTON. 

CLAYTON. 

Ah,    indeed.       [To    BURRILL.]       From    that    celebrated 
model. 

[ BURRILL  nods. 

ELINOR. 
[To  BURRILL.]     Let  Mr.  Clayton  see  the  photograph. 

B  u  R  B  I  L  L. 
I  can't  think  it  would  interest  him. 

[CLAYTON  tries  to  engage  SEELIG  in  conversation. 

ELINOR. 

Oh,  yes.     [To  CLAYTON.]     Frank!     [CLAYTON  turns  to 
her.]     Look  at  this  photograph — please.      [To  BURRILL. 

BURRILL. 

[Reluctantly  yielding  the  photograph.]     Miss  Seelig  had 
some  curiosity  about  it. 

CLAYTON. 

Oh,  yes. 


56  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

ELINOR. 

Mr.  Burrill  was  inclined  to  doubt  that  the  lady  repre- 
sented your  magazines. 

CLAYTON. 

[Evasively.]  Oh,  that  arrangement  was  never  com- 
pleted—discussed but — [He  returns  the  photograph  to 
BURRILL.  « 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Trying  to  help  the  strained  situation.]  Mimi  had  more 
than  one  side  to  her. 

ELINOR. 
[Regarding  the  bronze.']     So  it  appears. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  mean  she  could  think.  Antoine  told  me  that  she 
caught  the  meaning  of  a  line — as  quickly  as  any  woman 
that  ever  came  into  his  theatre. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
[Starting  at  the  name.']     Antoine? 

D  E  LOTA. 

Yes,  Antoine  the  manager.  I  got  her  a  place  in  his  com- 
pany. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

When  was  that? 

D  E  LOTA. 
Oh,  nine  or  ten  years  ago  before  she  posed  profession- 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  57 

[VEDAH  looks  to  BURRILL  who  avoids  her  inquiry. 

CLAYTON. 
She  said  she  could  write  of  the  theatre. 

E  L  I  N  o  R. 
Well— I  must  go. 

VEDAH. 

Really?  Am  I  to  be  the  only  woman  in  this  council  of 
war? 

ELINOR. 
Leave  it  all  to  the  men,  my  dear. 

CLAYTON. 
The  car's  at  the  door — take  it  if  you  wish. 

ELINOR. 

[Frigidly.]  I'll  walk,  thank  you.  [Pause.]  Mr.  Bur- 
rill,  I'm  very  glad  to  have  seen  you. 

BURRILL. 
Thank  you. 

ELINOR.    . 

And  your  model — well — a  delightful  reminder  of  Paris, 
Mr.  De  Lota.  [Ds  LOTA  turns  to  her.]  As  you  also  know 
the  lady,  Mr.  De  Lota — you  shall  tell  me  more  of  her.  I 
hope  you'll  call  on  us.  [She  gives  DE  LOTA  her  hand. 

D  E  LOTA. 
I've  been  promising  Mr.  Clayton  to  do  so. 


58  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

E  L  I  N  O  B. 

You  must — [Going  with  VEDAH  to  the  hall — ]  You'll 
bring  Mr.  Burrill  to  see  me  too? 

VEDAH. 
Delighted,  Mrs.  Clayton. 

[VEDAH  and  ELINOR  go  out. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  put  my  foot  in  it — but — hang  it,  I  was  completely  off 
guard.  Mrs.  Clayton  said  "Why  Frank  knows  this  woman" 
and  I  blurted  "of  course — I  introduced  him."  [Turns  to 
BUHRILL,  for  confirmation, 

CLAYTON. 
Forget  it. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Trouble? 

CLAYTON. 

En  promenade  with  the  girl— Elinor  met  us.  I  said  busi- 
ness. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Seriously.]  'Mmm.  Too  bad  after — the — the  othc* 
trouble  so  soon. 

CLAYTON. 

Damn  it — a  man  can't  go  to  Paris  and  live  on  bread  and 
milk.  I've  got  to  know  the  world  I  live  in.  I  publish 
three  magazines  and  a  metropolitan  newspaper. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
The  wife  met  you  walking  with  the  woman? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  59 

CLAYTON. 

That's  all — [To  DE  LOTA  with  some  anxiety.]     You  told 
her  nothing  more? 

D  E  LOTA. 
[Expostulating.']     My  dear  Frank — 

CLAYTON. 

[Relieved.']     Oh,  I  can  fix  it. 
[VEDAH  enters. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Well — shall  we  discuss  this  business  of  the  architects? 

CLAYTON. 
Yes. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Suppose  we  go  into  the  library — I've  your  papers  there, 
Mr.  Burrill. 

CLAYTON. 

Yes. 

[The  men  start  to  the  library. 

VEDAH. 
Mr.  Burrill!  I'll  send  Mr.  Burrill  immediately. 

B  u  R  11 1  L  L. 
[To  SEELIG.]     You  permit  me? 

[SEELING     pauses,     regards     VEDAH     intently — 
[DE  LOTA,  CLAYTON  and  SEELIG  go  out. 


60  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

VED  AH. 

[In  sudden  alarm.'}  He  is  the  man— I  saw  your  face 
when  he  said  he  had  introduced  this  girl  to  Antoine. 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 
Antoine's  name  startled  me — that  was  all — and — 

V  E  D  A  H. 
You  thought  you'd  seen  him  in  Paris. 

B  U  R  K  I  L  L. 

Probably  did — many  times. 

VEDA  H. 

You  think  you  saw  him  in  that  court  room — on  trial  for 
a  crime. 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

[Evasively.]     No — no. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
The  man  on  trial  had  spoken  to  Antoine  for  the  girl. 

B  U  E  B  I  L  L. 

A  dozen  men  may  have  done  that.  Engagements  in  the 
theatre  require  many  introductions. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

I  read  the  doubt  in  your  heart.  You're  not  the  conven- 
tional coward  that  most  men  are — tell  me.  I  am  promised 
to  marry  Benjamin  De  Lota — doesn't  that  mean  anything 
to  you? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  61 

B  F  B  R  I  L,  L. 

Mean  anything! — [He  starts  impulsively  toward  VEDAH, 
stops  and  after  a  moment's  effort  at  self-control  says  calmly 
and  tenderly.]  I  love  you!  [VEDAH  inhales  quickly,  her 
glance  falls  before  BURRILI/S  look,  she  turns  irresolutely 
toward  the  room  into  which  DE  LOTA  has  gone — a  pause. 

CURTAIN. 


ACT    Jl 


ACT    TWO 

CENE:  Lounging  room  of  MR.  FRANK 
CLAYTON'S  house.  The  walls  are  cov- 
ered with  green  canvas  on  which  is  a 
profusion  of  illustrations  furnished  to 
CLAYTON'S  magazines  by  various  artists. 
The  room,  square  and  shallow  and  low, 
is  furnished  in  mahogany  and  leather.  Two  five  foot 
'arches'  on  either  side  of  centre  open  to  rooms  back.  That 
at  right  shows  hallway  in  red,  with  staircase  leading  to  sec- 
ond story.  That  at  left  shows  music  room  in  yellow  with 
Chippendale  furniture  and  pictures  in  gilt  frames.  A  sofa 
above  fireplace  which  is  at  right,  stands  at  right  angle  to 
fireplace..  A  low  table  for  tobacco  is  at  end  of  this  sofa. 
On  this  table  is  a  big  reading  lamp.  A  large  writing  table 
is  at  back.  A  smaller  table  near  the  window  at  left  side 
has  a  desk  telephone. 

At  Rise  of  Curtain  the  stage  is  empty.  MRS.  SEELIG  and 
VEDAH  and  ELINOR  enter  from  the  dining  room  by  a  door 
above  the  fireplace.  They  are  in  evening  gowns. 


Vedah. 
Mama? 


MRS.    SEELIG. 
VEDAH. 


MRS.    SEELIG. 

[To  ELINOR.]     Mr.  Clayton's  found  my  gloves,  but  my 
handkerchief  is  gone. 

ELINOR. 


[Starting  back  to  dining  room.^     I'll  get  it. 
05 


66  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

MRS.    S  E  E  i,  i  G. 
Let  Vedah. 

ELINOR. 
No  trouble. 

[She  goes  out. 

VEDAH. 
See  this  picture,  Mama. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Which? 

VEDAH. 
This. 

MRS.     S  E  E  L  I  G. 

What  is  it? 

VEDAH. 
At  Jerusalem.     'The  Wailing  Wall.' 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

Poor  fellows.     It's  dreadful  to  take  religion  so  seriously. 
[ELINOR  enters. 

ELINOR. 

Mr.  De  Lota  is  bringing  your  handkerchief — wouldn't 
let  me  have  it. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
An  excuse  to  join  us. 

[DE  LOTA  enters  from  the  dining  room  waving  a 
lace  handkerchief  playfully. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  67 

D  E  LOTA. 
Found  !     Lady's  handkerchief — no  marks. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 
[Extending  her  hand.]     Thank  you. 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Withholding  the  handkerchief '.]  On  one  consideration. 
[To  ELINOR.]  Mrs.  Seelig  says  the  talking  machine  has 
spoiled — Celeste  Aida — for  her  ears — [To  MRS.  SEELIG.] 
If  you  think  you  are  mistaken  when  you  hear  Caruso  to- 
night— you  must  stand  up  and  wave  this  to  me  as  a  signal 
of  surrender. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

I  agree — [Takes  handkerchief.]  because  we  shall  be  too 
late  to  hear  that  solo. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Sharp  practice,  madam. 

ELINOR. 

Are  we  so  late! 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Oh — let's  not  hurry. 

D  E  LOTA. 

This  room  attracts  me  more  than  the  opera.  [He  re- 
gards the  drawings  on  the  wall. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Originals,  aren't  they? 


68  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

ELINOR. 

Yes.    They  were  in  the  offices  of  the  magazine  when  Mr. 
Clayton  bought  it. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Here's  one  by  Frost.     I  used  to  watch  for  his  sketches 
when  I  was  a  boy. 

[SurroN,  the  Clayton  butler,  enters  with  coffee. 

MRS.     S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[At  another  drawing.]     And  Remington — [To  the  but- 
ler.]    Thank  you — [Takes  coffee. 

[CLAYTON   and    BURRILL   come   from   the   dining 
room. 

CLAYTON. 
You  found  the  cigars: 

D  E  LOTA. 
I'll  take  a  cigarette.     [He  does  so. 

ELINOR. 

[To  BURRILL.]      Here's  a  libretto  of  Aida.     Find  that 
passage  of  which  you  spoke. 

BURRILL. 
There  were  several. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Our  coffee  won't  interfere  with  your  cigars. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  69 

D  E  LOTA. 


Do  you  mind? 


ELINOR. 


This  room  is  dedicated  to  nicotine.  [To  MRS.  SEELIG.] 
Besides,  we're  going  to  take  Mr.  De  Lota  to  the  piano. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Are  you? 

E  I,  I  N  O  E. 

[To  VEDAH.]     Aren't  we? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

We  are. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Here's  one  place — [His  pencil  breaks].     Ah! 

CLAYTON. 

[Offering  a  pencil  attached  to  his  watch  chain. 
Here. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

[Giving  libretto  to  CLAYTON.]  Just  mark  that  passage — 
"my  native  land,"  etc.  [To  ELINOR.]  Now  follow  that 
when  Aida  sings  Italian  and  note  how  the  English  stumbles. 

ELINOR. 

Thank  you.  [To  CLAYTON  a*  she  takes  book.']  Will  yon 
order  the  car  ? 

CLAYTON. 

I  have  done  so. 


70  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

ELINOR. 

[To  DE  LOTA.]     Come. 

[ELINOR,  Mns.  SEELIG,  VEDAH  and  DE  LOTA  go  to 
the  music  room  by  the  arch  left. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

[To  CLAYTON  with  whom  he  is  alone.]  See  here — I've 
an  idea  you'd  go  to  the  opera  if  it  weren't  for  me. 

CLAYTON. 

My  boy,  a  box  at  the  opera  is  the  blackmail — a  man 
pays  for  a  quiet  evening  at  home. 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L. 

[Laughing.]     Many  men  do  go. 

CLAYTON. 

And  sleep  on  the  rear  chairs.  No!  I  planned  to  stay 
home — you're  part  of  the  excuse.  [SUTTON  enters  with  a 
note.]  Excuse  me.  [Pause.  Reads  superscription  on  the 
note,]  Vedah — [BURRILL  gets  a  cigarette.  CLAYTON  goes  to 
the  door  of  the  music  room  and  calls.]  Vedah  [VEDAH  comes 
to  him.]  They  pursue  you  even  here.  [He  laughingly 
gives  VEDAH  the  note  which  she  opens  and  quickly  scans. 
SUTTON  goes. 

VEDAH. 

[Speaking  to  the  ladies  and  DE  LOTA  who  are  not  in 
view.]  Papa  will  be  late.  Mrs.  Clayton  musn't  wait  for  us. 

CLAYTON. 
Our  car  carries  seven. 

[ELINOR  and  MRS.  SEELIG  appear  in  the  doorway 
— DB  LOTA  follows,  they  enter. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  71 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

I'm  sure  we  can  make  room. 

CLAYTON. 

Make  room!     You're  only  four! 

ELINOR. 
Mr.  De  Lota  and  I  are  to  stop  for  the  Underwoods. 

MBS.    SEELIO. 
And  we  have  our  cousins  Friedman. 

D  E  LOTA. 
7  can  take  a  taxi. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

That  won't  help — Papa  is  coming  here — but  later. 

MBS.    S  E  E  L  I  6. 
You  go  ahead,  Mrs.  Clayton. 

VED  AH. 
Yes. 

E  !L  I  N  O  B. 

[To  DE  LOTA.]     What  do  you  think? 

D  E  LOTA. 

Any  time  for  me — but — the  Underwoods — ! 
[SUTTON  enters. 

S  U  T  T  O  N. 

The  automobile. 

[ELINOR  nods;  SUTTON  goes. 


72  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

Mas.    S  E  E  i,  i  G. 

It's  all  settled — you  go.     So  much  formality.     [She  and 
CLAYTON  go  to  music  room. 

E  :L  i  N  o  R. 
Take  this  for  me.     [Hands  libretto  to  DE  LOTA. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[Going  out  with  ELINOR.]     Papa  will  probably  be  here 
before  you  get  away. 

[ELINOR    goes    upstairs     talking    with    VEDAH. 
They  disappear. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

[As  DE  LOTA  starts  to  music  room.]     Mr.  De  Lota — 
were  you  in  Paris  eight  years  ago  ? 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Returning.]      Yes — and    twenty-eight   years    ago — I'm 
there  every  year. 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
Did  you  ever — visit  the  Cour  d' Assizes? 

D  E  LOTA. 
Occasionally — if  some  interesting  case  were  on — 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

I  remember  one  very  interesting  case — A  husband  pun- 
ished his  wife — and  also  her  lover — by  imprisonment. 

D  E  LOTA. 
The  French  law  has  that  absurd  possibility. 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  78 

B  IT  R  R  I  L  L. 

The  lover  was  sentenced  to  a  year's  imprisonment. 

D  E  LOTA. 

He  was  fortunate — the  court  in  its  discretion  might  have 
given  him  two  years. 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 

You  are  more  minutely  informed  on  the  subject  than 
the  average  American. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  am  more  minutely  informed  on  most  subjects  than  the 
average  American.  I  know  somewhat  of  character — of 
men's  temperaments  and  motives,  Mr.  Burrill.  And  your 
interest  in  my  life  at  Paris  is  very  serviceable  just  now. 

B  u  R  E  i  L  L. 
Indeed! 

D  E  LOTA. 

Indeed  yes.  I've  been  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  change 
in  Miss  Seelig's  deportment  toward  myself.  I  was  charg- 
ing it  to  your  superior  attraction.  I  see  it  was  due  to  your 
power  of  insinuation. 

BURRILL. 
I  have  insinuated  nothing  about  you. 

D  E  LOTA. 
You  have  been  direct? 

B  u  E  E I  L  L. 
I've  avoided  discussing  your  life  in  Paris. 


74  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

D  E  LOTA. 

That  is  wise,  Mr.  Burrill.     In  fact,  you  could  do  only 
one  thing  that  would  be  more  wise. 


Yes? 

D  E  LOTA. 
Avoid  discussing  any  of  my  affairs. 

BURRILL. 
My  instinct  is  to  do  that. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Thank  you!     [He  turns  away. 

BURRILL. 
[Following.}     Except  with  one  person. 

D  E  LOTA. 
You  mean  —  the  lady  ? 

BURRILL. 

I  mean  you.     I  expect  to  discuss  them  with  you  rather 
frankly. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  shall  be  pleased.     [He  throws  the  libretto  on  the  table 
and  confronts  BURRILL. 

ELINOR. 
[Entering.}    Ready,  Mr.  De  Lota? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  75 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Smiling.']     You  excuse  me? 
[BURRILL  nods. 
[DE  LOTA  disappears  in  the  hallway. 

ELINOR. 
I  wish  you  were  going  with  us. 

BURRILL. 
I  wish  I  were. 

[CLAYTON  re-enters  from  the  music  room. 

ELINOR. 
You'll  see  Dick,  won't  you? 

CLAYTON. 
Yes. 

ELINOR. 

He's   not   started   to   undress   yet.      Miss   Doane   never 
knows  how  to  manage  him. 

[BURRILL  joins  VEDAH  and  disappears  with  her 
in  music  room. 

CLAYTON. 
[Alone  with  ELINOR.]     Don't  worry.     Good  night. 

ELINOR. 
Good  night.     [CLAYTON  offers  to  kiss  her.]     No. 

CLAYTON. 
Still  cross  patch? 


76  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

ELINOR. 
We  can't  laugh  it  off,  Frank. 

CLAYTON. 
Think  we  can  pout  it  off? 

ELINOR. 

I  think  you  can't  tread  my  sensibilities  into  the  mire  by 
your  affairs  with  other  women  and  expect  me  to  smile  at 
cue. 

CLAYTON. 

Women! —  One  girl — and  a  man's  natural  curiosity  about 
her  type.  Hang  it — there  must  be  some  freedom. 

ELINOR. 
Do  you  suggest  more  than  you've  had? 

CLAYTON. 

I  suggest  domestic  peace — or  any  other  punishment  than 
this  deadly  sulking. 

ELINOR. 
You've  admitted  you  went  to  the  woman's  room. 

CLAYTON. 

Admitted  nothing.  I  candidly  told  you  I  had  gone  there 
— told  you  in  order  that  you  might  know  all. 

ELINOR. 

All  that  you  were  willing  to  tell. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  77 

CLAYTON. 
I  can't  keep  pace  with  your  imagination. 

ELINOR. 

Your  wish  to  have  me  "know  all"  is  six  months  after  the 
fact  and  when  her  photograph  accidentally  exposed  you! 

CLAYTON. 

If  you're  kicking  on  the  tardiness  of  your  news  service, 
I'm  with  you. 

ELINOR. 
I'm  resenting  your  breach  of  faith. 

CLAYTON. 
Don't  assume  anv  covenant,  my  dear  that  doesn't  exist. 

ELINOR. 

Do  you  deny  your  promises  after  the  affair  of  two  years 
ago? 

CLAYTON. 

I  didn't  promise  to  stagnate.      I'm  a  publisher  with   a 
newsman's  curiosity  about  the  world  he  lives  in. 

ELINOR. 
And  what  of  a  woman's  curiosity? 

CLAYTON. 

Colossal !     But  not  privileged.     Curiosity  of  that  kind  in 
a  woman  is  idle  and  immoral! 


78  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

ELINOR. 

And  in  a  man? 

CLAYTON. 

A  man's  on  the  firing  line — a  woman's  in  the  commis- 
sariat. 

ELINOR. 

Which  is  a  fine  way  of  saying  you  have  a  license  for 
transgression  that  your  wife  has  not. 

CLAYTON 
If  you  will — yes. 

ELINOR. 
[After  a  defiant  pause.'}     You're  mistaken. 

[DE  LOTA  enters  in  wrap  and  carrying  his  hat. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Ready? 

ELINOR. 

Yes.    [To  CLAYTON.]    You'll  go  up  to  Dick  occasionally  ? 

CLAYTON. 
Certainly. 

ELINOR. 

[Calls.]       Good  night,  Mr.   Burrill— good  night.      [To 
MRS.  SEELIG  and  VEDAH.]     I  feel  awfully  selfish. 

[MRS.   SEELIG,  VEDAH   and   BURRILL  come  from 
music  room. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Good  night. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  79 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Lovely  time  at  dinner. 

[ELINOR  and  DE  LOTA  start  out. 

CLAYTON. 

[Getting  the  libretto  from  table.]     Here — isn't  this  your 
libretto  ? 

ELINOR. 

Thank  you. 

[Takes  it  and  goes  out  with  DE  LOTA.]    [Sound  of 
front  door  closing. 

[MRS.  SEELIG,  VEDAH  and  BURRILL  are  with  CLAY- 
TON. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Now,  if  Papa  doesn't  come  for  us — you  have  us  both 
on  your  hands. 

DICK. 

[Coming  down  the  stairs  and  calling.']     Mama — Mama. 

CLAYTON. 

Mama's  gone,  Dick.     Don't  let  him  call  that  way,  Miss 
Doane. 

[DICK  and  Miss  DOANE,  the  governess,  appear  in 
hallway. 

DICK. 
I  want  Mama. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Here's  Auntie  Seelig,  my  dear — won't  she  do? 
[Miss  DOANE  and  DICK  enter. 


80  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 
It's  much  after  his  bed  time. 

MlSS     DOANE. 

I  don't  think  he's  well,  Mr.  Clayton. 

DICK. 

My  throat  hurts. 

CLAYTON. 


Throat  hurts? 


Miss    DOANE. 


He  complained  at  supper.  I  didn't  tell  Mrs.  Clayton 
because  she's  so  easily  alarmed. 

CLAYTON. 

[Taking  DICK  to  the  lamp.~\  Let  me  see  your  throat, 
Dick.  Open  your  mouth.  [To  BURRILL.]  You  know  any- 
thing about  throats? 

B  u  a  R  i  L  L. 
Not  inside. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mama  doei. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

Papa  Seelig's  coming  in  a  few  minutes,  Dick — he'll  cure 
your  throat.  [To  CLAYTON  as  she  takes  the  boy's  face  in 
her  hands.]  Feverish. 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  81 

CLAYTON. 

[To  Miss  DOANE.]  Let  him  wait  then  and  see  the 
Doctor. 

MBS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Doctor  can  see  him  better  in  the  nursery.  Come  Dick — 
Auntie  Seelig  will  tell  you  a  pretty  story  while  Miss  Doane 
gets  you  to  bed. 

DICK. 

[To  CLAYTON.]     Carry  me. 

CLAYTON. 

[Laughing.]  Carry  you?  You're  taking  advantage  of 
all  this  sympathy.  [Picks  him  up.]  Excuse  me — [To 
BURRILL  and  VEDAH. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

What  is  a  father  for — with  his  magazines  and  news- 
papers— if  he  can't  carry  a  little  boy  upstairs,  eh? 

[Goes  with  Miss  DOANE  after  CLAYTON  who  car- 
ries DICK  upstairs. 

VEDAH. 
Looks  sick,  doesn't  he  ? 

BURRILL. 
[Nodding.1]     Poor  kid. 

VEDAH. 

He  wants  his  mother.  If  Papa  says  he's  ill  I  can  go  to 
Mrs.  Clayton's  box  and  let  her  know. 


82  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

B  u  R  R  i  L  i,. 
Yes. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Have  you  noticed  the  disposition  of  our  two  parties? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
Disposition  ? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mr.  De  Lota  escorts  Mrs.  Clayton. 

B  u  R  R  1 1.  L. 
Mr.  Clayton  doesn't  care  for  the  opera. 

VED  AH. 

Some  of  my  friends  have  been  good  enough  to  commen 
on  the  frequency  of  Mr.  De  Lota's  calls. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

[Pause.']     Do  you  care? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

A  woman's  natural — pride. 

B  u  B  R  i  L  i>. 

But— heartaches?      [VEDAH  shakes  head.'}      Does  Mrs. 
Clayton  know  of  your  engagement? 

VEDAH. 
No.     [Pause.'}     Have  you  done  what  I  asked  you? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  i« 

What? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  83 

V  E  D  A  H. 

A  letter  to  Paris. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
There's  none  to  whom  I  could  write — on  such  a  subject. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Your  model  friend — she  is  still  there? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
I  suppose  so. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Why  not  a  line  to  her? 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L. 

[Evasively.']     She  owes  me  nothing. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Well—? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

She'd  probably  take  alarm  and  forward  the  letter  to  the 
man  himself. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Why  "forward" — has  he  left  the  country? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 

[Quickly  recovering.]     Probably — or  perhaps  not — but — 
either  way — nothing  accomplished. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
Either  way  nothing  lost.    Won't  you  try? 


84  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

[Disturbed.]     It  isn't  a  manly  thing  to  do — even  against 
a  rival. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[Smiling."]  Thank  you. 

B  u  R  R  I  L,  L. 
Why? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Rival. 

B  U  E  R  I  L  L. 

Well.' 

V  E  D  A  H. 

So  far  you've  said  only  that  you  loved  me. 

B  u  R  R  1 1.  L. 
You  don't  resent — rival? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Does  any  woman? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 

[With  quick  look  about.]     You  know,  if  there  weren't  so 
many  doors  here — [Approaches  her. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[Retreating.]     No— 

[CLAYTON  re-appears  on  stairs^ 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  85 

B  IT  E  E  I  L  L. 

[Changing  the  subject.']     And  all  originals.     [Indicates 
the  framed  sketches. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

So  wonderful  to  have  them,  isn't  it? 
[Enter  CLAYTON. 

CLAYTON. 

Boy's  certainly  not  himself. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Poor  child. 

[SUTTON  enters. 

S  U  T  T  O  N. 

[Announcing.]     Dr.  Seelig. 

[Enter  SEELIG.    He  is  in  evening  dress  and  wears 
a  cloak. 

SEELIG. 

Good  evening  Frank.      [Shakes  hands  with  CLAYTON.] 
Mr.  Burrill. 

B  U  R  B  I  L  L. 

Doctor. 

SEELIG. 
[To  VEDAH.]     Sorry  to  be  late.    Where's  Mama? 

CLAYTON. 

With  Dick — complains  of  his  throat.     Have  you  time  to 
look  at  him? 


86  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Certainly. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

What  is  more  important?     Go  up? 

CLAYTON. 

[Nodding.']     The    nursery.      [SUTTON    takes    SEELIG'S 
cloak  and  hat. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Get  ready,  my  dear.     [Goes  into  hall  and  upstairs  with 
CLAYTON. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

{Resuming   the   interrupted   talk   with   BURRILL.]      But 
write  to  that  girl. 

BURRILL. 
[Smiling.]     I  did  say  I  loved  you. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
A  month  ago. 

BURRILL. 
Yes. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

And  now? 

BURRILL. 
There  isn't  any  stronger  word  or  I'd  use  it. 

VED  AH. 

[Seriously.]     It  isn't  a  thing  a  man  says  to  a  girl— be- 
trothed to  another  man — is  it? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  87 

B  U  R  R  I  L  I,. 

Not  generally. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

That  is  another  proof  that  you  recognize  Mr.  De  Lota 
as  that  man  of  the  court  room.     You  must — do  something. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L,. 
[Easily. ,]     Does  it  really  matter? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Matter  ?    Why — we're  engaged — aren't  we — he  and  I  ? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L,. 
I've  said  /  love  you. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Yes. 

B  U  R  R  I  I,  L. 

And  you've  listened  to  it — because — you  love  me. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
[Pause.}     Well? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L,. 

[Shaking  head."]     Not  Mr.  De  Lota.     I  shall  marry  you 
— so  what  difference  does  it  make  what  he  did  in  Paris? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

I  know  my  father.     Mr.  De  Lota  is  of  our  faith,  there 
would  have  to  be  good  reason  for  breaking  with  him  now. 

[CLAYTON  comes  downstairs  with  MRS.  SEELIG. 


88  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

B  u  R  B  i  L  L. 

Breaking  the   engagement — would   mean   no  distress   to 
you? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[In  half  coquetry.]     Why  have  I  listened  to  you? 
[Enter  MRS.  SEELIO  and  CLAYTON. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
[Getting  her  wrap.~]     Not  ready? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Where's   Papa? 

M  E  S.     S  E  E  L  I  G. 

We  are  to  send  the  car  back  to  him.     He  wants  to  wait 
a  while  with  Dick. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
Excuse  me.    [Goes  to  hall. 

CLAYTON. 
[To  MRS.  SEELIG.]     Can  I  help  you? 

MBS.    SEELIG. 
It's  very  easy,  this  cloak. 

[CLAYTON  assists  VEDAH  with  her  wrap. 

B  U  B  B  I  L  L. 

Allow  me.     [Holds  cloak  for  MRS.  SEELIG. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  89 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 

[To  CLAYTON  as  she  goes.]      I  won't  say  anything  to 
Elinor  until  Doctor  comes. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Good  night.     [Gives  hand  to  BURRILL  and  goes  out  with 
MRS.  SEELIG. 

[CLAYTON  and  BURRILL  come  down  to  the  fire- 
place. 

CLAYTON. 
Wonderful  man  with  children,  this  Seelig. 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

I  thought  principally  surgical  cases? 

CLAYTON. 

He's  at  the  head  of  the  hospital  for  crippled  children 
but  great  in  diagnosis — medicine — anything. 

B  u  R  K  1 L  L. 
Heidelberg,  Miss  Vedah  tells  me. 

CLAYTON. 

[Getting  a  cigar.]      Postgraduate  yes — but  New  York 
family.    Father  left  him  ten  millions. 

B  u  E  E  i  L  L. 
Might  have  struggled  through  with  that. 


90  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

CLAYTON. 

His  heart  makes  him  a  doctor.  If  ever  I  go  to  Heaven 
and  that  old  Jew  isn't  there  I'll  ask  for  a  rain  check. 

BURRILL. 
[Lights  cigarette,]     I  understand  they  receive  Jews. 

CLAYTON. 

Heaven?  [BURRILL  nods.]  Yes — very  carelessly  man- 
aged. Sit  down.  Judge  Hoover  will  be  here  presently — 
he  tells  me  you're  acquainted.  [He  sits  as  BURRILL  takes 
a  chair. 

BURRILL. 
[Nodding.]     We  meet  at  the  Club. 

CLAYTON. 
Mrs.  Clayton's   father. 

BURRILL. 
I  know. 

CLAYTON. 

I'd  have  had  Judge  to  dinner  but —  [Pause.]  How  long 
you  been  in  the  Club? 

BURRILL. 
Two  years  only. 

CLAYTON. 
Perhaps  you  know? 

BURRILL. 
What? 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  91 

CLAYTON. 

The  way  Hoover's  resisted  the  admission  of  Jews?     He 
hates  'em. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

No. 

CLAYTON. 
Blackballed  Seelig.     What  rot,  eh? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 


Foolish   antipathy. 


CLAYTON. 


I  love  'em — not  the  cheap  ones.  I  hate  cheap  Yankees 
and  cheap  cattle  of  all  kinds — but  a  classy  Jew  with  edu- 
cation and  culture — 

B  U  E  R  I  L  L. 

I  agree  with  you. 

CLAYTON. 

While  we  think  in  vulgar  integers — they  think  in  com- 
pound fractions. 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
True. 

CLAYTON. 

Damn  it —  [Looks  about  in  playful  caution.]  I'm  so 
wrong  that  I  like  their  noses. 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
[Laughing.']     Not  all  of  them. 


92  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 

Yes,  all  of  them.  Dismiss  your  prejudice  for  a  while. 
See  how  insignificant  our  average  Scandinavian  and  North 
Europe  noses  become.  [BURRILL  nods.]  But — don't  tell 
father-in-law  Hoover  you  like  'em. 

BURRILL. 

[Laughs.]  I  won't.  [Seeing  SEELIG  who  re-appears  on 
the  stairs.]  The  Doctor. 

[CLAYTON  and  BURRILL  rise.     SEELIG  enters. 

SEELIG. 

Don't  disturb  yourselves,  gentlemen. 

CLAYTON. 
How  do  you  find  him? 

SEELIG. 

[Pause.]  I'll  look  at  him  again  when  he's  quiet.  I 
hope  some  of  the  trouble  may  be  only  excitement. 

CLAYTON. 

Cigar? 

SEELIG. 
[Shakes  head.]     Thank  you. 

CLAYTON. 

[Standing  by  the  fire.]  His  mother  tells  me  a  singular 
thing.  She  was  holding  Dick's  hand  as  he  napped  on  her 
bed  this  afternoon — babies  him  a  good  deal.  She  was 
reading— to  herself — an  old  book  of  Stockton's — some 
treasure-trove — men  carrying  sacks  of  gold  from  cave  to 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  93 

ship.  Dick  suddenly  waked — sat  up  and  said:  "Where — 
where's  all  that  money?"  Elinor  said,  "What  money?" 
Dick  said  "that  gold  those — those  men  had!"  Reading  to 
herself! 

SEELIG. 

[Easily.']  Yes.  [Pause.]  The  connection  between 
mother  and  child  is  more  subtle,  more  enduring  than  our 
physiologies  even  suggest. 

[SEELIG  and  BURRILL  sit. 

CLAYTON. 

Elinor  invited  the  Underwoods  to  the  opera — or  I  don't 
think  she  would  have  gone  herself. 

SEELIG. 
Courtlandt  Underwoods? 

CLAYTON. 

Yes. 

SEELIG. 

Mrs.  Underwood's  suddenly  ill.  That's  where  I  w»s  de- 
layed this  evening. 

CLAYTON. 
Too  ill  to  go  out? 

SEELIG. 
Oh  yes. 

CLAYTON. 
[Thoughtfully.]  — M'm. 


94  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

SEELIG. 

[To  BURRILL.]     Doesn't  the  opera  attract  you? 

BURRILL. 

Yes,  but — more  important  business  here. 

CLAYTON. 

Those  architects  have  sued  us. 

S  £  E  L  i  6. 
Sued  you? 

CLAYTON. 

[Nodding.]  Libel.  My  editor  insinuated  graft  in  the 
sculpture  awards  and  they  jumped  us. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Laughing.]  Well.  [Looks  to  BURRILL.]  You  insur- 
gent artists  are  getting  prompt  action. 

BURRILL. 
Yes — I  feel  a  little  guilty  at  involving  Mr.  Clayton. 

CLAYTON. 

[Reassuringly.]  We'll  take  care  of  that.  [To  SEELIG.] 
The  Judge  is  coming  to  confer  with  us — Judge  Hoover. 
[SEELIG  nods.  HOOVER  appears  in  hall.]  Ah — here  he  is. 

HOOVE*. 

[Removing  his  overcoat.]     Hello,  Frank. 


AS     A    MAN    THINKS  95 

CLAYTON. 

Waiting  for  you.     [Meets  Hoover  who  comes  into  room. 
SEELIG  rises.']     Dr.  Seelig,  you  know. 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

Good  evening. 

SEELIG. 
Judge. 

H  O  O  V  E  R. 

How  are  you,  Burrill? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 

Good  evening — [Shake  hands. 
[Enter  SUTTON. 

S  u  T  T  o  N. 
Automobile  for  Dr.  Seelig. 

SEELIG. 

Tell  him  to  wait,  please. 
[SUTTON  goes. 

CLAYTON. 

[Answering     HOOVER'S     look.]       Doctor's     been     good 
enough  to  stay  and  see  Dick. 

HOOVER. 

[Anxiously.]     Boy  sick? 

SEELIG. 
These  sudden  fevers;  can't  tell  immediately. 


96  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

[To  BURRILL.]  Poor  little  Dick — when  he's  ill  it  gets 
me  right  in  the  stomach.  Man's  an  idiot  to  have  grand- 
children. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Still  a  pardonable  weakness. 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

[To  BURRILL.]  I  did  a  stupid  thing.  Left  the  copies 
of  those  letters  you  sent  me — the  photographs — all  at  my 
office. 

B  U  E  E  I  L,  L. 

Originals  are  at  my  studio — only  two  blocks.  [Start* 
out. 

CLAYTON. 
[To  HOOVER.]     Do  we  need  them? 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

Better  have  them. 

B  TT  E  E  I  L  L. 

Won't  be  five  minutes. 
[Goes  out. 

HOOVER. 
Doctor,  may  Dick  see  his  grandfather? 

[Miss  DOANE  appears  down  the  stair*. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I'm  waiting  for  him  to  get  quiet,  but — 
[Miss  DOANE  enters. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  97 

HOOVER. 

No,  you're  the  boss. 

MlSS      DOANE. 

Doctor. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Ready? 

[Miss  DOANE  nods.     SEELIG  goes  with  her  and 
upstairs. 

HOOVER. 

[Alcne   with  CLAYTON.]      Nearly   scared   me   out   of   a 
year's  growth. 

CLAYTON. 
Dick? 

HOOVER. 

Seelig.     I  feared  you'd  asked  him  to  sit  in  this  confer- 
ence. 

CLAYTON. 

[Shaking   head.]      I   know   your   prejudice   too   well    for 
that. 

HOOVER. 

Not  him  expressly — but  the  whole  breed — and  it  isn't 
prejudice.     Observation  and  experience. 

CLAYTON. 
I'll  chance  'em. 

HOOVER. 

Chance  is  the  word.      This   libel   suit's   a  proof  of  it. 
[Gets  a  cigarette. 


98  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 

An  Irishman  wrote  the  editorial. 

HOOVER. 

[Nods.]  On  information  furnished  by  a  Jew.  Wasn't 
it? 

CLAYTON. 
De  Lota !     Yes — but  De  Lota's  pretty  cautious. 

HOOVER. 

[Shaking  head  in  disapproval.]  Bad  lot — I  know  him. 
He'll  get  in  some  nasty  scandal  before  he  finishes  and  it'll 
react  on  your  business. 

CLAYTON. 
Why  do  you  say  that? 

H  o  o  v  E  R. 
A  rounder — stamping  ground  the  Great  White  Way. 

CLAYTON. 

His  contract's  the  Great  White  Way — he  does  art  and 
music  for  us. 

HOOVER. 

I  passed  his  side  street  hotel  on  my  way  ht  re.  De  Lota 
sneaking  in  with  a  girl. 

CLAYTON. 
[Easily.]     Guess  you're  mistaken. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  99 

HOOVER. 
I  called  him. 

CLAYTON. 

His  hotel?     [HOOVER  nods.]     De  Lota  stops  at  the  Du- 
cal Apartments. 

HOOVER. 

[Nods.]     Ducal  Apartments  ? 

CLAYTON. 

That's  a  bachelor  place — women  not  admitted. 

HOOVER. 

Not  admitted  nor  permitted  after  eleven  o'clock. 

CLAYTON. 
I'd  hate  to  know  as  much  about  this  town  as  you  do 

HOOVER. 

Wait    till  you're  my  age. 

CLAYTON. 

[After  a  disarming  pause.]     What  kind  of  a  girl? 

HOOVER. 
Didn't  get  her  number — she  scooted  ahead. 

CLAYTON. 
You  spoke  to  him? 

HOOVER. 
Catted  to  him. 


100  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

CLAYTON. 
Called? 

HOOVER. 
Yes —  I  was  forty  feet  away. 

CLAYTON. 
Had  your  nerve  with  you. 

HOOVER. 
The  girl  dropped  something — I  thought  it  was  a  fan. 

CLAYTON. 
Well? 

HOOVER. 
'Twasn't — but  that's  why  I  called  De  Lota. 

CLAYTON. 
How  do  you  know  it  wasn't? 

HOOVER. 
I  picked  it  up. 

CLAYTON. 
What  was  it? 

HOOVER. 
A  libretto. 

CLAYTON. 
What  libretto? 

HOOVER. 

Don't  know — but   grand   opera — I    remember   that   and 
libretto. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  101 

CLAYTON. 

You  threw  it  away? 

HOOVER. 
No— kept  it. 

CLAYTON. 
Where  is  it? 

HOOVER. 
Overcoat  pocket. 

CLAYTON. 

[Pause.]  I'd  like  to  see  it.  Think  I  could  have  some 
fun  with  De  Lota. 

HOOVER. 

[Going  up  to  hallway.']  My  idea  too — fun  and  word  of 
caution.  [Gets  coat  and  returns  feeling  in  pocket  for 
libretto. 

CLAYTON. 
C  aution — naturally , 

HOOVER. 
Here  it  is.      [Reads.]     Aida. 

CLAYTON. 
[Taking  libretto  savagely.]     Aida — let  me  see  it. 

HOOVER. 

What's  the  matter?     [Puts  coat  on  a  chair. 


102  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

CLAYTON. 

[In  sudden  anger,  throws  book.]  The  dog!  Damn  him 
— damn  both  of  them! 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

What  is  it?    See  here — Who's  with  Dick? 

CLAYTON. 

Not  his  mother — no!  [Points  to  libretto  on  the  floor.] 
Marked.  /  did  that  myself,  not  an  hour  ago,  and  gave  it 
to  her. 

H  O  O  V  E  K. 

To  Elinor? 

CLAYTON. 
[Calling  as  he  rushes  to  the  hall.]     Sutton !  Sutton! 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

Hold  on,  Frank — there's  some  mistake. 

CLAYTON. 

[Gets  overcoat  and  hat.~\  Get  me  a  cab — never  mind — 
I'll  take  Seelig's  machine.  [Disappears.]  Here!  Doctor 
Seelig  says  to  take  me  to — [He  goes  out.  Door  bangs. 

[SUTTON  enters  from  dining  room. 

SUTTON. 
Is  master  Dick  in  danger,  sir? 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

[Nervously.]  I  don't  know,  Sutton.    Where's  his  mother? 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  103 

S  U  T  T  O  N. 

Opera,  sir. 

HOOVER. 
With  whom? 

S  U  T  T  O  N. 

Mr.  De  Lota. 

[Enter  SEELIG  from  upstairs. 

HOOVER. 
That'll  do. 

[SUTTON  goes. 

HOOVER. 

Doctor  Seelig. 

SEELIG. 
Judge  Hoover. 

HOOVER. 

Mr.    Clayton   was    summoned    hurriedly — he   took   your 
automobile. 

SEELIG. 
I'm  glad  it  could  be  of  service. 

HOOVER. 
I'll  get  you  a  cab.     [Goes  to  telephone. 

SEELIG. 

I'm  not  going,  thank  you — simply  sending  a  prescription. 
[Starts  toward  push  button. 

HOOVER. 
Perhaps  you'd — better  go — Doctor  Seelig. 


104  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Stopping.]  Why  so,  Judge?  I've  a  very  sick  little 
patient  upstairs. 

HOOVER. 

Your  pardon!  But —  [Pause.]  Mr.  Clayton's  just  had 
some  disturbing  news — .  The — I  think  the  family  would 
rather  be  left  to  themselves  this  evening. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  shan't  intrude  past  professional  requirement — believe 
me.  [Rings. 

H  O  O  V  E  R. 

I  do  believe  you!  Doctor.  [Nervously  getting  his  coat 
from  the  chair.]  You  and  I  are  not  especially  intimate — 
but  in  your  own  sphere  of  usefulness  I  respect  you. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Thank  you. 

HOOVER. 

A  physician  is  not  unlike  a  lawyer  in  his  relations  to  his 
client.  [SEELIG  nods.]  I  ask  you  to  treat  sacredly  and  with 
discretion — any  matter  that  comes  to  your  knowledge  here 
— tonight. 

SEELIG. 

My  obligation  to  do  that,  Judge  Hoover — has  a  firmer 
anchorage  than  even  your  request. 

HOOVER. 

I  know  it — excuse  me.  Clayton's  news — bears  on  me, 
too,  a  little. 

[Enter  SUTTON  in  response  to  SEELIO'S  ring. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  105 

HOOVER. 

Sutton — Mr.  Burrill  will  return.  Say  that  important  busi- 
ness has  called  me  away. 

SUTTON. 
Yes,  sir. 

HOOVER. 

And  we'll  make  another  appointment. 
[Quickly  goes  out. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Sutton — 

SUTTON. 


Yes,  sir     [Returns. 


S  E  E  L,  I  G. 


Is  there  someone  who  can  take  this  prescription  to  the 
druggist  and  wait  for  it? 

SUTTON. 
Yes,  sir. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

And  go  quickly? 

SUTTON. 
Yes,  sir. 

S  E  E  I,  I  G. 

Frazer's. 

[ SUTTON  nods  and  leaves. 


106  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

SEELIG. 

[At  'phone.]  Bryant  6151.  [Pause — regards  watch.] 
Hello — Frazer's?  [Pause.]  Doctor  Seelig.  I'm  send- 
ing a  prescription  by  messenger — from  Mr.  Frank  Clay- 
ton's. Will  you  please  fill  it  as  promptly  as  possible? 
[Pause.]  Thank  you.  [Hangs  up  'phone. 

[BURRILL  and  SUTTON  appear  in  hall.     BURRILL 
carries  a  package  of  papers. 

SUTTON. 

Mr.  Clayton  and  Judge  Hoover  have  been  called  away. 
Judge  Hoover  said  he'd  make  another  appointment. 

[SUTTON  and  BURRILL  enter. 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

Oh — [Pause.]  Well — I'll  leave  this  envelope  for  them 
— they  may  care  to  see  it  when  they  come  in.  [Seeing  SEE- 
LIG.] How's  the  boy,  Doctor? 

SEELIG. 
Quite  ill — poor  baby. 

B  u  E  E  I  L  L. 

Too  bad —  [To  SUTTON.]  I'll  speak  with  the  Doctor  a 
moment.  [SUTTON  bows — and  goes  out. 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

You  have  a  minute  or  two? 

SEELIG. 

[Still  seated  at  'phone  table.]  I've  sent  for  some  medi- 
cine— and  am  free  until  it  comes. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  107 

BURRILL. 

[Approaching.]  I  want  to  thank  you,  Doctor,,  for  your 
interest  in  my  work. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
It's  been  a  pleasure,  Mr.  Burrill. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
It's  been  a  lesson  to  me. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Lesson  ? 

BURRILL. 

[Nodding.']  I'm  reprehensively  ignorant  on  most  sub- 
jects, especially  religion  and — well — your  interest  in 
sculpture — your  toleration  of  it  surprised  me. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Why? 

BURRILL. 

I'd  always  thought  there  was  something  in  your  tenets 
that  forbade  any  graven  image. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Only  as  objects  of  idolatry  I  think.  The  words  are: 
"Nor  bow  down  and  worship  them."  As  works  of  art  I 
don't  know  any  prohibition.  My  dear  old  father  was  a  very 
orthodox  believer — closed  his  office  on  Saturday  and  all 
that — but  he  was  a  liberal  patron  of  the  arts.  In  fact,  I 
don't  know  a  Jew  among  a  fairly  extensive  circle — that 
feels  as  you — as  you  feared,  Mr.  Burrill. 


108  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

B  U  R  R  I  I,  L. 

You  are  not  so  orthodox  as  your  father  then? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Not  orthodox  at  all. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
I  got  a  contrary  impression. 

S  E  E  J,  i  G. 
From  Judge  Hoover? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  1,. 

From  Miss  Vedah. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Vedah? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  I,. 

Yes.     It  is  of  her  I  wish  to  speak.    . 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Ah! 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

I  wouldn't  speak  of  her — if — if  I  didn't  think  a  mistake 
was  being  made,  Dr.  Seelig. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
A  mistake! 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Yes — I  mean  that  my  own  feelings  are  not  my  sole  guide. 
I  think  that  Miss  Vedah — likes  me. 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  109 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I'm  glad  you  see  it.  I  have  cautioned  her  myself — and 
now  perhaps  you  will  aid  me. 

B  u  R  R  I  -L  L. 

I  speak  to  you  about  it  as  a  matter  of  honor.  You — 
you've  been  so  ready  to  invite  me  to  your  house  and  all 
that — and — 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

And  to  tell  you  early  of  Vedah's  engagement? 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 

Yes — so  my  duty  is  to  be  a  trifle  old  fashioned,  if  you 
will  and  to  tell  you  that — I  mean  to  increase  her — regard 
for  me — all  I  can. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Her  regard?     Only  that? 

B  u  B  R  I  L  L. 
I've  no  right  to  speak  for  her — so — 

S  E  E  L,  I  G. 
Has  Vedah  said  more? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  -L. 

I've  said  more.     She  knows  that  I  love  her. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

You  told  her  so? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Yes. 


110  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Then  this  caution  to  me  is  somewhat  late,  isn't  it? 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 

But  unavoidably.  If  I  didn't  think  she  cared  more  for 
me  than  for — the  man  to  whom  she's  engaged,  I  don't  think 
I'd  have  spoken. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
You  mean  to  me? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

To  either  of  you. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Why  not  first  to  me? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Until  I  was  sure  there  was  no  need  to  distress  you,  as  I 
felt  you  would  be,  as  I  feel  you  are.  [Walks  away  as  hav- 
ing said  all  that  is  possible. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Pause,  slowly  rises  and  approaches  BURRILL.]  In 
asking  your  patient  understanding,  Mr.  Burrill— I  am 
fortunate  that  you  are  a  sculptor. 

BURRILL. 
How  so,  Doctor? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Most  sculptors  think  in  large  symbols.  The  little  span 
of  human  life  takes  its  true  proportion. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  111 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L,. 

This  life  is  all  I'm  sure  of.  I  fear  its  rather  important 
to  me. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

It's  all  any  of  us  is  sure  of.  [Pause.]  I'm  not  a  re- 
ligionist, Mr.  Burrill — but — [Pause.]  It  has  been  wisely 
written,  "Of  all  factors  that  make  races  and  individuals 
what  they  are  the  most  potent  is  religion."  It  would  be  a 
very  sorry  world  without  it. 

B  u  B  R  i  L,  L. 
There  can  be  more  than  one  religion,  however,  can't  there  ? 

S  E  E  1. 1  o. 

There  should  be.  Even  to  grind  corn  there  must  be  two 
millstones.  And  for  the  world  to  grow  in  religion  there 
must  be  more  than  one  idea.  [Pause.]  The  belief  in  one 
God  is  the  trust  given  to  the  Jew — the  precious  idea  of 
which  every  Jewish  woman  is  custodian  and  which  to  trans- 
mit— the  Jew  suffers  and  persists.  You  see,  Mr.  Burrill, 
that  there  is  something  here  to  think  of. 

BURRILL. 

Yes. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

The  Christain  faith  itself  needs  our  testimony.  It  is 
built  upon  our  foundation — and  whenever  a  daughter  quits 
us  the  religious  welfare  of  the  whole  world  is  the  loser. 


TT  R  R  I  L,  L. 

I  don't  see  that. 


i 


112  AS    A         f.N     THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Pardon  the  pride,  which  our  proverb  says  "Goes  often 
before  a  fall"  and  let  me  call  your  recollection  to  the  nobil- 
ity of  this  trust  which  a  Jewish  girl  abandons  if  she  mar- 
ries elsewhere]  [BURRILL  nods.]  [A  pause.]  When  Egypt 
worshipped  Isis  and  Osiris  and  Thoth,  Israel  proclaimed 
the  one  God.  When  India  knelt  to  Vishnu  and  Siva  and 
Kah',  Israel  prayed  only  to  Jehovah  and  down  past  Greece 
and  Rome,  with  their  numerous  divinities  from  Jove  to 
Saturn,  Judah  looked  up  to  one  God.  What  a  legacy — what 
a  birthright !  How  small  our  personal  desires  grow  in  com- 
parison. As  a  sculptor,  who  writes  in  bronze  that  all  time 
may  read,  what  message  can  you  leave  if  one  so  grand  as 
this  fails  of  your  respect? 

BURRILL. 
It  has  my  respect  sir. 

S  E  E  I,  I  G. 

I  was  sure  of  it.  Is  it  too  much  to  ask  that  a  girl 
shall  have  time  to  think  of  this? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 

No,  sir !  I  shall  say  nothing  to  her  more  than  I  have  said, 
which  is  I  love  her  and  I  know  she  loves  me. 

[SEELIG  bows  slowly,  BURRILL  respectfully  ac- 
knowledges the  bow. 

[ELINOR  enters  excitedly,  sees  BURRILL  and  SEE- 
LIG and  quickly  passes  to  the  music  room. 
HOOVER  comes  in. 

HOOVER. 

[Nervously.]  Mr.  Burrill — you  will  have  to  excuse  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Clayton  tonight? 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  11$ 

B  U  R  B,  I  L  L. 

I  know — good  night.     [Goes  quickly  out. 

[HOOVER  turns  helplessly  toward  SEELIG,  who 
with  a  gesture  of  comprehension,  goes  upstairs. 
As  SEELIG  goes,  ELINOR  enters  by  the  other 
arch. 

ELINOR. 
Don't  leave  me,  father.     [She  walks  excitedly. 

HOOVER. 

I  won't.  But  I'm  not  only  your  father — I'm  an  attorney 
— a  counsellor.  Let  me  have  the  truth,  Elinor.  The  door 
was  locked? 

ELINOR. 

[Sitting.]  De  Lota  locked  it  in  sheer  playfulness.  I 
was  begging  him  to  open  it  when  Frank  came. 

HOOVER. 
But  why  there  at  all?     Why  in  De  Lota's  rooms? 

ELINOR. 

Just  plain  madness.  Twice  at  dinner  the  conversation 
got  onto  Mr.  BurrilFs  sculpture.  Frank  has  had  an  affair 
with  Burrill's  model.  [Rises  and  walks;  throws  her  cloak 
onto  the  table. 

HOOVER. 

When  ?    Not  since  the  trouble  of  Atlantic  City  ? 

ELINOR. 

This  year  in  Paris — I've  made  him  almost  admit  it.  De 
Lota  introduced  them.  Tonight  when  we  found  the  Under- 


114  AS    A     MAN     THINKS 

woods  couldn't  go — and  we  were  alone  for  the  evening, 
De  Lota  and  I — he  proposed  seeing  some  Japanese  carv- 
ings he  has  in  his  rooms. 

HOOVER. 

But,  Elinor — you're  not  an  infant.  A  proposal  of  that 
kind  is  only  a  mask  for  lawlessness. 

ELINOR. 

I  am  lawless.  He  claims  the  right  to  follow  his  fancy, 
and  does  follow  it — my  right  is  equal.  He  introduced  me  to 
this  very  woman  on  the  Boulevard — but  I  didn't  strike  her, 
did  I? 

HOOVER. 

Did  Frank  strike  De  Lota? 

ELINOR. 

Like  a  cheap  bully.    [The  front  door  is  slammed  violently. 
[CLAYTON  enters,  pale  with  excitement. 

CLAYTON. 
You  came  here,  did  you? 

ELINOR. 

Why  shouldn't  I?  You  haven't  made  it  such  a  sanctified 
temple  that  I'm  unworthy  to  enter  it. 

CLAYTON. 
[To  HOOVER.]     She  can't  stay. 

HOOVER. 

[Going  to  CLAYTON.]  See  here,  Frank.  You're  in  no 
state  of  mind  to  make  any  important  decision. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  116 

CLAYTON. 

The  facts  make  the  decision — 

HOOVER. 
You  haven't  got  the  facts? 

CLAYTON. 

I've  got  all  I  can  stand  and  we  won't  vulgarly  discuss 
them.     I  decline  to  live  with  an  adulteress. 

ELINOR. 

I'm  not  that — but  I  am  an  indignant  and  cruelly  neglect- 
ed woman. 

CLAYTON. 

She's  your  daughter.  Now  take  her  from  my  house  or — 
I'll  have  the  servants  do  it! 

[Strides  into  the  music  room. 

ELINOR. 
[Impetuously.]     Coward!     His  house — 

HOOVER. 
Elinor — that's  not  the  way. 

ELINOR. 

I  haven't  worked  in  his  office — but  every  step  in  his  suc- 
cess we  consulted  and  agreed  upon  .  His  house!  You  know 
that  every  investment — 

HOOVER. 

He  doesn't  mean  it.  He's  excited  beyond  control — any 
husband  would  be. 


116  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

ELINOR. 
In  every  tight  place  it  was  your  legal  advice  that — 

HOOVER. 

We  can't  go  into  that  now,  my  dear.  Humor  him — avoid 
a  scene  before  the  servants.  I'll  take  you  to  a  hotel  and — 

ELINOR. 

Hotel!  The  cruelty  of  it — turned  like  a  common  woman 
onto  the  street.  [Sinks  overwhelmed  into  a  chair. 

H  o  o  v  F.  u. 

Only  a  day  or  two.  If  things  were  only  as  you  say  at 
De  Lota's  we  can  get  Frank  to  believe  us — 

ELINOR. 
After  what  I've  forgiven  him!     Oh,  dad — 

HOOVER. 

Don't — don't !  Change  your  gown  and  we'll  go.  To- 
morrow will  put  another  color  on  everything.  [Helps  her 
up  and  leads  her  protesting  toward  the  hall. 

ELINOR. 

[Resentfully.]  The  injustice  of  it—!  The  cruelty—! 
The— 

[SEELIO  comes  downstairs  and  meets  HOOVER  and 
ELINOR  in  the  doorway. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Pardon — 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  117 

HOOVER. 

[Trying  to  pass.]     Mrs.  Clayton  isn't  well. 
[SEELIG  enters. 

SEELIG. 

[Taking  ELINOR'S  hand.]     I  see — but  come  from  the  hall. 
Dick  will  hear  you. 

ELINOR. 
Dick? 

SEELIG. 
Yes. 

ELINOR. 
Dick's  ill—  ?  I'll  go  to  him. 

SEELIG. 

[Restraining   ELINOR.]      One   moment — [To    HOOVER.] 
You  go  to  him. 

HOOVER. 
The  situation  here,  Doctor — 

SEELIG. 

I  think  Judge  Hoover,  I  comprehend  the  situation  here, 
please  go. 

[HOOVER  goes  upstairs, 

ELINOR. 

[As  SEELIG  brings  her  further  into  the  room.]     I  can't 
leave  without  seeing  my  boy. 

SEELIG. 

Leave !    [Slowly.]    No — no — but  you  must  be  calm  when 
you  go  to  him.    There  must  be  no  excitement  whatever. 


118  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

ELINOR. 

[Hysterically.]  I  can't  be  calm  and  go  away  from  him — 
if  he's  ill.  You  know  the  boy,  Doctor.  How  much  we  are 
to  each  other — all  his  life — I've  never  neglected  him. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  know. 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

It's  too  much  to  bear — [Falls  weeping  into  the  chair  at 
fireplace. 

[CLAYTON  enters. 

CLAYTON. 

[With  suppression.]  If  there's  any  man,  Doctor,  your 
people  should  have  run  straight  with — I'm  the  man. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
My  people? 

CLAYTON. 
[Pointing  to  ELINOR.]     Locked  in  Ben  De  Lota's  rooms. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
My  people !     [Pause.]     A  Jew ! 

CLAYTON. 
[Vehemently.]     A  Jew. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Pause.]  There  was  another  Jew — if  one  of  His  people 
may  quote  Him—  [Puts  hand  on  ELINOR'S  head.]  "Are  you 
to  cast  the  first  stone?" 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  119 

CLAYTON. 

I'm  no  hypocrite — I  never  subscribed  to  his  code — and 
I'll  not  begin  the  living  hell — of  life  with  a  dishonored 
woman. 

ELINOR. 

[Rising  defiantly.]  I'm  not  dishonored.  I  only  claim 
the  right  you  exercise  for  yourself  to  go  where  life  interests 
me.  If  it's  honorable  and  moral  for  you — it's  equally  hon- 
orable and  equally  moral  for  me. 

CLAYTON. 

Every  right  you  may  possibly  claim  you  have  fully  earned 
by  your  visit  to  Ben  De  Lota's  room.  I'm  going  to  make 
your  equality  complete.  From  now  on,  you'll  protect  your- 
self and  you'll  earn  the  substance  your  vanity  squanders. 

ELINOR. 
Ah!— 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Interrupting  ELINOR'S  outburst.]  One  moment — don't 
speak,  my  child.  [Pause.  Calms  ELINOR  to  her  chair.] 
Your  difference  must  wait.  Just  now  Mrs.  Clayton  must 
be  composed. 

CLAYTON. 

[Explosively.]  We're  past  the  consideration  of  her 
nerves.  Just  now  Mrs.  Clayton  must  take  what  she  needs 
for  the  night  and  leave — her  trunks  will  follow  her.  [Goes 
to  the  push  button  and  rings. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
[In  masterful  calm.]     No  Frank — she  shall  not  leave. 

CLAYTON. 
She'll  not— 


120  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

She  shall  not. 

CLAYTON. 

[Angrily.]     What  have  you  got  to  do  with  it? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Every  thing !  There's  a  little  boy  upstairs — no  one  shall 
move  him  until  I  give  permission,  and  his  life  for  the  next 
few  days  will  depend  on  the  mother  that  gave  it  him. 

[Enter  SUTTON. 

CLAYTON. 

[Pause.]  SUTTON —  [Pause — SEELIO  looks  sharply  and 
steadily  at  CT,AYTON.]  pack  my  valise — and  send  it  to  the 
Club. 

SUTTON. 
Yes,  sir. 

[Goes  out. 

CLAYTON. 
[Leaving  the  room.]     Good  night,  Doctor  Seelig. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
[Quietly.]     Good  night. 

[ELINOR  still  seated  turns  weeping  to  SEELIO  who 
embraces  her  paternally. 

CURTAIN. 


ACT    III. 


ACT    THREE 


CENE:  Library  in  house  of  DOCTOR 
SEELIG.  Door  at  back  lets  into  Drawing 
Room  which  formed  the  first  act.  An- 
other door  to  left  lets  into  the  hallway. 
Large  diamond  paned  and  leaded  win- 
dow with  seat  at  right.  Mantel  and  fire- 
place are  at  back.  Over  mantel  is  picture  of  Judith.  Other 
pictures  are  heavily  framed  on  wall.  Book-cases  height  of 
mantel  are  at  all  walls.  The  ceiling  is  carved  and  heavily 
beamed.  Near  window  is  library  table  with  lamp.  In  front 
of  table  and  masking  it  is  heavy  sofa.  Big  easy  chairs  flank 
and  half  face  the  fire.  A  second  table  has  a  telephone.  On 
mantel  are  DE  LOTA'S  two  vases.  Other  ornaments  com- 
plete shelf  furniture.  General  tone  of  scene  and  carpet  is 
red  and  gold. 

At  Rise  of  Curtain  BURRILL  is  discovered  waiting. 
[HOLLAND  enters. 

HOLLAND. 
Miss  Seelig  will  be  down  immediately. 

B  u  R  B  I  L  L. 
Thank  you. 

[Exit  HOLLAND. 

[BURRILL  scans  the  book  shelves. 

[VEDAH  enters. 

123 


124  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Julian!     [Extends  both  hands. 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

My  sweetheart!     [Kisses  her. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Together  after  all  the  talk  and  tears  and  family  councils. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Have  there  been  tears? 

VED  A  H. 
[Nodding.]     Some. 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

You  poor  dear. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
I've  tried  so  hard  not  to  care  for  you. 

B  U  E  R  I  L  L. 

Have  you?     [They  sit  together  on  the  sofa. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Yes.  Read  the  persecutions  of  my  ancestry  and  blamed  it 
all  on  yours  and  then  said,  with  Mercutio,  "A  plague  on  both 
your  houses." 

B  U  E  R  I  L  L. 

I  hope  you  are  as  incurably  smitten  as  Mercutio  was 
when  he  said  that. 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  125 

V  E  D  A  H. 

I  think  I  must  be.  Wasn't  there  something  about  a  church 
door? 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
You  angel! 

V  E  D  A  H. 
Our  critics  write  that  the  vice  of  our  race  is  display. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Well? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

And  I  fear  it's  true.  I  have  a  great  envie  to  have  the 
noted  American  sculptor  in  our  box  and  all  the  opera  glass- 
es saying,  "Vedah  Seelig!  She's  caught  him  at  last." 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L,. 
Have  you  manoeuvred  greatly? 

VEDAH. 
Shamelessly — not  even  introduced  to  you. 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
I  know  it — but  we've  met,  haven't  we?     [Kisses  her. 

VEDAH. 

[Resisting  tardily.}  That  isn't  being  done,  you  know, 
until  the  engagement  is  announced. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

How  does  one  tell  ? 


126  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

V  E  D  A  H. 

I  suppose — one  doesn't  tell? 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L,. 

What  have  you  been  doing  since  I  saw  you? 

V  E  D  A  H. 
Home  mostly.    You  know  Mrs.  Clayton  is  visiting  us? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Mrs.  Clayton? 

VED  Ak. 

And  little  Dick.     He  has  the  room  that  was  my  nursery. 
I've  spent  a  lot  of  time  with  Dick. 

B  U  R  R  I  I,  I,. 

And  what  operas — what  parties? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Twice  to  the  opera. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

With—? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mama.     Then  once  to  the  theatre. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
With—? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mama  and  papa. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  191 

B  U  K  R  I  L  L. 

No  suitors?     [VEDAH  shakes  her  head.]     Not  even  one? 

V  E  D  A  H. 
You  mean  have  I  seen  Mr.  De  Lota? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
Well? 

VEDAH. 
He  is  out  of  the  city. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 
Oh. 

[MRS.  SEELIG  enters. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Vedah ! 

[BURRILL  and  VEDAH  rise. 

VEDAH. 
Mama. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L,  i  G. 
Mr.  Burrill.     [Gives  hand. 

BURRILL,. 
Mrs.  Seelig. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
You  didn't  tell  me  Mr.  Burrill  had  called. 

VEDAH. 
Did  you  wish  to  know? 


128  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

Mas.    SEELIG. 

Of  course.  [She  goes  to  the  telephone.]  Give  me  2500 
Plaza,  please.  [Pause.]  I  want  to  speak  to  Doctor  Seelig 
if  he's  there.  [Pause.]  Mrs.  Seelig. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Why  do  you  want  him,  Mama? 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
You'll  see  in  good  time. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[To  BURRILL.]  A  girl  never  grows  up  in  her  mother's 
mind. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

Yes.  That  you,  Samuel?  [Pause.]  Will  you  be  home 
soon?  [Pause.]  Well,  nothing  important — except — 
[Pause.]  Mr.  Burrill  is  here — and — I  thought  I'd  ask  him 
to  wait  for  you —  [Pause.]  No —  [Pause.]  No — well— I 
think  it  much  better  for  you  to  do  it  yourself —  [BURRILL 
and  VEDAH  quickly  exchange  glances  and  BURRILL  comically 
interests  himself  in  the  books].  Perhaps — but  are  you  com- 
ing? [Pause.]  Thank  you.  [Hangs  up  'phone, 

VEDAH. 
What  is  it? 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

You  know—  [To  BURRILL.]  Sit  down,  Mr.  Burrill— 
[MRS.  SEELIG  and  VEDAH  sit  together.]  Vedah's  father  and 
I  have  had  a  good  many  talks  about — about  you  and  Vedah. 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  129 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Yes? 

MRS.     S  E  E  L  I  G. 

We  haven't  always  agreed. 

B  u  R  B  i  L  L. 
I'm  sorry  to  be  the  cause  of  any  difference. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 

It's  Doctor's  fault.  I've  always  said  to  him,  don't  invite 
any  men  to  your  house  in  whom  you  wouldn't  be  willing  to 
see  your  daughter  interested. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
But  Mama,  Papa  didn't  invite  Mr.  Burrill. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 

I  know,  but  Papa  was  with  you.  That  was  the  time  for 
him  to  have  been  firm.  And  not  go  locking  the  stable 
after— 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Oh,  Mama,  don't  make  me  into  a  stolen  horse. 

BURRILL. 
No — see  what  I'd  be. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 
[To  VEDAH.]     You'd  better  listen. 

BURRILL. 
Pardon. 


130  AS     A     MAN     THINKS 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

Vedah's  our  only  child,  Mr.  Burrill,  and  my  first  wish  is 
to  see  her  happy — but — 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Mama  means  that  any  unhappiness  of  mine  wouldn't 
matter  if  she  had  another  daughter. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Mr.  Burrill  understands  me,  I'm  sure. 

B  U  R  R  I  I.  L. 

I  do,  Mrs.  Seelig. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
But  Doctor  and  I  agree  that  Vedah  should  think  calmly. 

VEDA  H. 
That's  expecting  a  good  deal. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 

The  Doctor  is — going  to — well,  not  let  you  see  so  much 
of  each  other,  and  I  want  to  prepare  you,  Mr.  Burrill,  for  his 
talk  with  you. 

[Enter  HOLLAND. 

HOLLAND. 
Mr.  De  Lota  and  Judge  Hoover. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Judge  Hoover !    Excuse  me.     [Follows  HOLLAND  out. 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  131 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Mr.  De  Lota? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Yes.  And  now  with  Papa  going  to  talk — you  haven't 
informed  yourself  about  that  Paris  affair. 

BURRILL. 
I  wouldn't  talk  that  no  matter  what  I  knew. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

It's  on  my  mind  all  the  time. 
[Enter  MRS.  SEELIG. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

You  go  to  the  living  room —  [VEDAH  and  BURRILL  start 
out.]  I'll  join  you.  [VEDAH  and  BURRILL  go  to  drawing 
room.]  Come  in,  gentlemen. 

[Enter  HOOVER  and  DE  LOTA  from  the  hall. 

HOOVER. 
Some  years  since  we  met,  Mrs.  Seelig. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L,  I  G. 
Yes —  [To  DE  LOTA.]     You've  been  away,  Benjamin? 

D  E  LOTA. 
[Nods.]     How  is  Mrs.  Clayton's  son? 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Doctor  says  he  may  go  out  in  a  day  or,  two. 


132  AS    A     MAN     THINKS 

D  E  LOTA. 
[To  HOOVER  in  tone  of  congratulation.]     Ah! 

HOOVER. 

It's  been  very  good  of  you,  Airs.  Seelig,  to  have  him  and 
his  mother  here. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

A  change  of  surroundings — and  Dick's  always  called  me 
Auntie.     [ELINOR  enters  by  the  door  from  hall. 

ELINOR. 
Father! 

HOOVER. 
My  dear.     [Kisses  her. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
We  shall  see  you  later,  Mr.  De  Lota? 

D  E  LOTA. 
Oh — yes — yes. 

[MRS.    SEELIG  goes  into  the  drawing  room  closing 
the  door  after  her. 

ELINOR. 
You  two  come — here  together. 

HOOVER. 
I  brought  Mr.  De  Lota — yes. 

ELINOR. 
Why? 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  133 

HOOVER. 

Sit  down,  my  dear.  It's  going  to  take  more  than  a  min- 
ute. [ELINOR  sits.]  And  you —  [DE  LOTA  sits.]  When 
have  you  heard  from  Frank? 

ELINOR. 
[Anxiously  rising.]     Don't  they  know  where  he  is? 

HOOVER. 

Good  Heavens,  Elinor — don't  answer  my  question  by  ask- 
ing another. 

ELINOR. 
But  don't  they? 

HOOVER. 
Don't  who  know  where  he  is? 

ELINOR. 
Anybody. 

HOOVER. 
Hundreds  I  suppose — but  have  you  heard  from  him? 

ELINOR. 
No. 

HOOVER. 
Doesn't  he  ask  after  little  Dick? 

ELINOR. 
He  'phones  Doctor  Seelig  every  day. 

HOOVER. 
But  you? 


134  AS    A     MAN     THINKS 

E  -L  I  N  O  E. 

No.     [Pause. 

II  o  o  v  E  E. 
Frank  has  instructed  Colonel  Emory  to  begin  suit. 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

You  mean? 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

Divorce. 

E  I,  I  N  O  E. 

Oh! 

II  O  O  V  E  E. 

You  expected  it,  didn't  you? 

E  I,  I  N  O  E. 

Not  after  his  conduct  with  this  second  woman — this  sculp- 
tor model  in  Paris. 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

That  wasn't  condoned,  eh  ? 

E  I,  I  N  O  E. 

Not  after  I  discovered  it. 

H  o  o  v  E  E. 
What — what  proof  have  you  of  that  affair? 

E  I,  I  N  O  E. 

He  admitted  it. 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

[Quickly.]     He  did? 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  135 

ELINOR. 
Almost. 

HOOVER. 
I  fear  "almost"  won't  go  in  court. 

ELINOR. 
And — Mr.  De  Lota  knows  it.     He  told  me  so. 

D  E  LOTA. 
[As  HOOVER  turns  to  him.]     My  opinion. 

H  o  o  v  E  R. 
You  told  Mrs.  Clayton  that,  did  you. 

D  E  LOTA. 
My  opinion — yes. 

HOOVER. 

Have  you  and  she  met  since — Clayton  and  I — came  to 
your  hotel? 

D  E  LOTA. 
No. 

HOOVER. 

Communicated?  [De  LOTA  shakes  head.]  Oh — then  you 
told  her — this  opinion  of  yours  with  an  idea  of  its  influence 
upon  her? 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  answered  her  questions. 

HOOVER. 
And  a  damn  fine  mess  you've  made  of  it. 


136  AS    A     MAN     THINKS 

DE  LOTA. 

Perhaps  Judge  Hoover,  we'd  better  get  to  the  purpose 
of  our  call. 

HOOVER. 

Perhaps.  [To  ELINOR.]  I  don't  need  to  tell  you, 
Elinor,  that  this  thing's  awkward  for  me. 

ELINOR. 
I  know. 

HOOVER. 

The  other  side  can  subpoena  me — and  my  testimony  can't 
help  you — [Pause.]  If  we  go  about  it  rightly,  however, 
Colonel  Emory  thinks  Frank  can  be  persuaded  to  let  you  get 
the  decree. 

ELINOR. 
No. 

HOOVER. 
No? 

ELINOR. 

The  reason  for  not  getting  a  divorce  two  years  ago  is 
much  greater  now. 

HOOVER. 
You  mean — ? 

ELINOR. 
I  mean  Dick. 

HOOVER. 

It's  better  for  Dick  to  have  the  blame  fixed  on  his  father 
than  upon  you. 

ELINOR. 
I'm  not  guilty. 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  137 

HOOVER. 

My  dear  Elinor,  I'm  your  father — and —  and  I  believe 
you — but  [Pause.']  I'm  an  attorney  and  I  have  been  a 
Judge.  The  case  is  against  you. 

ELINOR. 
[To  DE  LOTA.]     You  know  I'm  not  a  guilty  woman. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  do — but  your  father  is  right.  We  must  face  the  situa- 
tion as  it  is.  I  love  you,  Elinor.  [Comes  to  her. 

ELINOR. 
[Recoiling.]     Don't  say  that  to  me. 

HOOVER. 

My  dear,  I've  brought  Mr.  De  Lota  here  that,  unpleas- 
ant as  it  is,  he  might  say  it — in  my  hearing. 

ELINOR. 
You? 

HOOVER. 

Yes.  If  we  can't  arrange  it  as  Colonel  Emory  proposes — 
[Pause.]  Mr.  De  Lota's  willing  to  marry  you. 

ELINOR. 

Oh!     [Covers  her  face  in  revulsion. 
HOOVER. 

[Soothing  her.]  Don't — don't  do  that.  It  isn't  what  any 
of  us  hoped  for  some  years  ago — but  it's  a  devilish  sight 
better,  my  dear,  than  it  all  looked  last  month. 


138  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

There  can't  be  such  injustice  in  the  world — that  he  may 
go  unscathed  and  little  Dick  and  I — no — no — I  can't  live 
and  have  it  come  to  that.  I  won't  consent  to  any  such 
arrangement  of  it  all. 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

It's  little  Dick  I'm  asking  you  to  think  of. 

E  L  I  N  o  E. 

He's  all  I  am  thinking  of.  He's  like  his  father— it's  his 
father's  name  he'll  carry  through  his  life  and  I'm  not  going 
even  to  propose  to  blacken  it. 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

What  are  you  going  to  do? 

E  L  I  N  o  E. 
Defend  myself — defend  my  boy's  mother. 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

Against  the  boy's  father? 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

Yes. 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

And  if  the  court  gives  Clayton  a  decree  of  divorce? 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

Then  I  shall  live — live  so  that  he'll  see  some  day  he  was 
mistaken. 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  139 

HOOVER. 
There's  one  point  we  musn't  overlook.     Dick's  hew  old? 

ELINOR. 
He's  seven. 

HOOVER. 

The  court  may  award  his  custody  to  Clayton. 

ELINOR. 

[Greatly  agitated.]  Oh  no!  Father !  They  won't— they 
can't  do  that. 

HOOVER. 
I  don't  know. 

ELINOR. 
You  can  think — arrange  some  way  to  avoid  that. 

HOOVER. 

I  have  thought  of  one  way — you  won't  listen.  If  we  can 
persuade  Clayton  to  be  the  defendant,  that  settles  it.  If 
we  fight  him  as  you  propose,  his  anger  may  lead  him  to  tak* 
the  boy. 

ELINOR. 
Divorce ! 

D  E  LOTA. 
And  no  certainty  it  can  be  kept  quiet. 

ELINOR. 
You  mean  the  papers? 


140  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

D  E  LOTA. 

Yes.     If  Mr.  Clayton  lets  you  get  the  decree — only  the 
Chardenet  girl  will  be  named. 

[ELINOR  rings  push  button  by  fireplace. 

HOOVER. 
What  are  you  doing? 

ELINOR. 
Tell  Mrs.  Seelig— 

DE  LOTA. 
No — no — 

H  o  o  v  E  K. 

Why? 

ELINOR. 

Because  Doctor  Seelig  has  told  her  nothing. 
[Enter  HOLLAND. 

HOOVER. 
One  minute. 

HOLLAND. 

[Going.]     Yes,  sir. 

ELINOR. 

Holland — ask  Mrs.  Seelig  to  come  here. 
[HOLLAND  goes. 

HOOVER. 
Wait  'till  Frank  decides. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  141 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

I've  decided. 

HOOVER. 

But  you  may  reconsider. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Yes — why  tell  her  now? 

ELINOR. 

She  has  a  right  to  know. 

HOOVER. 

What  right? 

ELINOR. 

A  wife's  right — a  mother's  right.     The  right  of  a  woman 
who  has  taken  an  outcast  into  her  home. 

HOOVER. 

You  were  not  an  outcast,  Elinor — you  could  have  come 
to  me. 

E  LIN  o  E. 
In  your  club? 

HOOVER. 
I'd  have  gone  to  a  hotel. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  beg  of  you,  Elinor — wait — or  at  least  don't  tell  every- 
thing.   My  position  in  this  house  is — peculiar. 

H  O  O  V  E  E. 

Your  position? 


142  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

D  E  LOTA. 
Yes — a  tacit  engagement — to  Vedah. 

ELINOR. 
Oh!     How  vile  it  all  makes  me. 

D  E  LOTA. 

The  more  reason  to  be  careful. 
[Enter  MRS.  SEELIG. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
My  dear? 

HOOVER. 

[Cautioning.]     Elinor! 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
What  is  it?  [Starts  to  ELINOR. 

ELINOR. 

Wait — [Pause.] — until  I  tell  you — [Pause.] — doctor  told 
you  only  that  it  would  be  good  for  Dick  to  come  here? 
Nothing  more? 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Nothing. 

ELINOR. 
Not — my  trouble — with  Frank? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  143 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

No — and  don't  you  tell  it,  my  dear,  if  it  agitates  you. 
Besides,  Frank  has  lots  to  worry  him.  We  mustn't  judge 
too  quickly. 

ELINOR. 
He  wants  a  divorce. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
He  does? 

ELINOR. 

[Nodding.']  He's  already  gone  to  a  lawyer  about  it- 
father  has  just  told  me. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

Because  [Looks  at  HOOVER  who  nods  toward  DE  LOTA.] 
Frank's  jealous — of  Benjamin?  [To  ELINOR. 

ELINOR. 

I  had  no  idea  Vedah  was  engaged  to  him.  Oh,  it's  to* 
— too  horrible. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
What  ideas  men  can  get  in  their  heads. 

ELINOR. 

No,  I'm  to  blame,  Mrs.  Seelig.  I  deserve  it  all — I  di<\ 
go  to  his  rooms — the  Doctor  knows. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Your  rooms — [DE  LOTA  nods.]     Together? 


144  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

D  E  LOTA. 
Yes. 

MBS.    SEELIG. 
But,  my  dear  Elinor — 

ELINOR. 

The  Doctor  believes  me — I  was  crazy — rebellious — venge- 
ful— striking  back — bitterly  resentful  of  deceit  Frank  had 
been  newly  guilty  of.  I  went  as  much  in  the  name  of  all 
women  despitefully  treated  as  I  did  in  assertion  of  my  own 
freedom.  And  then — I  came  to  my  senses.  I'm  not  guilty 
or  I  wouldn't  be  in  your  home — 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

My  dear!     [Takes  ELINOR  in  her  arms. 
[Enter  SEELIG.] 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
[Quietly.]     She's  just  told  me. 

SEELIG. 

[To  HOOVER.]  Col.  Emery  called  on  me  this  after- 
noon. 

HOOVER. 
Then  you  know  ? 

SEELIG. 
Yes. 

HOOVER. 
Naturally  somewhat  of  a  shock.  [Indicates  ELINOR. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  145 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Yes. 

HOOVER. 

We  haven't  any  right  to  expect  less  from  Clayton. 

ELINOR. 

No  right?  Did  I  divorce  him  two  years  ago  when  he 
was  guilty — really  guilty.  Did  I  ? 

HOOVER. 

No!  You  made  a  scene  with  the  woman  and  got  a 
rotten  lot  of  newspaper  notoriety — but  the  offense  you  con- 
doned. 

MRS.    SEEL.IG. 

And  a  man  that's  been  forgiven  all  that  shouldn't  talk 
about  divorce  if  his  poor  wife  loses  her  head  for  a  minute. 
It's  unbearable  the  privileges  these  men  claim — and  the 
double  standard  of  morality  they  set  up. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
These  men? 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 

All  of  them.  And  that  woman  dramatist  with  her  play 
was  right.  It  is  "a  man's  world." 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
It's  a  pretty  wise  world,  my  dear. 

ELINOR. 
You  think  I  should  be  made  to  suffer? 


146  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  think  you  do  suffer. 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

That  my  offense  is  less  forgivable  than  Frank's  was? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

[Pause.]  You  have  my  pity,  Elinor,  and  shall  have  my 
help  but  I  can't  lie  to  you. 

ELINOR. 
That  I'm  more  guilty  than  he? 

M  E  s.    S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Pause.]  Don't  ask  that  of  a  Jew,  my  dear — however 
liberal  in  his  religion  he  pretends  to  be.  My  father  was 
an  orthodox  Rabbi — I  know. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
What  do  you  know? 

M  E  S.     S  E  E  I,  I  G. 

Our  ancient  law — from  which  all  your  ideas  come.  A 
man's  past  was  his  own.  He  was  not  forbidden  as  many 
wives  as  he  wanted,  but  if  a  poor  girl  had  made  a  mistake 
and  concealed  it  from  these  lords  of  creation,  she  was 
stoned  to  death  unless  she  was  the  daughter  of  a  priest — 
in  which  case  she  was  to  be  burnt  alive.  It's  always  been 
a  man's  world. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Elinor.  [Pause.]  Do  you  hear  that  rattle  of  the  rail- 
road? 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  147 

ELINOR. 

Yes. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

All  over  this  great  land  thousands  of  trains  run  every 
day  starting  and  arriving  in  punctual  agreement  because 
this  is  a  woman's  world.  The  great  steamships,  dependable 
almost  as  the  sun — a  million  factories  in  civilization — the 
countless  looms  and  lathes  of  industry — the  legions  of  labor 
that  weave  the  riches  of  the  world — all — all  move  by  the 
mainspring  of  man's  faith  in  woman — man's  faith. 

ELINOR. 
I  want  him  to  have  faith  in  me. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

This  old  world  hangs  together  by  love. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Not  man's  love  for  woman. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

No — nor  woman's  love  for  man,  but  by  the  love  of  both 
— for  the  children. 

ELINOR. 
Dick! 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Men  work  for  the  children  because  they  believe  the 
children  are — their  own — believe.  Every  mother  knows 
she  is  the  mother  of  her  son  or  daughter.  Let  her 
be  however  wicked,  no  power  on  earth  can  shake 
that  knowledge.  Every  father  believes  he  is  a  father  only 


148  AS    A     MAN     THINKS 

by  his  faith  in  the  woman.  Let  him  be  however  virtuous, 
no  power  on  earth  can  strengthen  in  him  a  conviction  great- 
er than  that  faith.  There  is  a  double  standard  of  morality 
because  upon  the  golden  basis  of  woman's  virtue  rests  the 
welfare  of  the  world. 

ELINOR. 
Have  I — lost  everything? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Frank  must  be  convinced  of  your  love  and  your  loyalty. 

ELINOR. 
I  do  love  him. 

S  E  E  i,  i  G. 

Of  course.     [To  DE  LOTA.]     Why  are  you  here? 

D  E  LOTA. 

To — do  any  thing  that  is  in  my  power — to  assure  Mrs. 
Clayton  that  she  will  have  my  protection  if — it  comes  to 
the  worst. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Well— that's  where  it  would  be. 

D  E  LOTA. 

And  there  must  be  some  things  you  want  to  say  to  me? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
There  are. 

HOOVER. 

[To  SEKLIG.]  Clayton's  always  had  great  respect  for 
your  opinion,  Dr.  Seelig. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  149 

S  E  E  -L  I  G. 

I'll  see  Clayton,  of  course.      [To  MRS.  SEELIG.]     You 
'phoned  me  that  Mr.  Burrill — 

MBS.    SEELIG. 
He's  there.      [Indicates  living  room. 

SEELIG. 
Have  you  seen  your  grandson,  Judge  Hoover? 

HOOVER. 

No. 

ELINOR. 
You  must — Dick's  asked  for  you — [Rises.]     Come. 

SEELIG. 

On  your  way  out  I'll  see  you  again. 
[HOOVER  and  ELINOR  go  out. 

SEELIG. 
[To  MRS.  SEELIG.]     You  entertain  Mr.  Burrill  a  moment. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
He  doesn't  lack  entertainment. 

SEELIG. 
What? 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Vedah's  with  him. 


150  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  I,  I  G. 

[Starting  to  door.~\     I  thought  we'd  agreed  about  that? 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Doesn't  this  trouble  make  a  difference? 

SEELIG. 
It  can't  affect  our  decision  concerning  Burrill. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Not  before  Vedah.      [SEELIG  goes  to  living  room. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Perhaps  the  trouble  can  be  fixed,  Mrs.  Seelig — if  the 
doctor    talks    to    Clayton. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
It  can't  be  "fixed"  as  you  call  it,  with  me. 

D  E  LOTA. 
You  won't  tell  Vedah? 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
I  won't  have  to  tell  Vedah,  she  loves  this  artist. 

D  E  LOTA. 

But  to  marry  a  Christian ! 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
When  she  might  have  you. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  151 

D  E  LOTA. 
It's  taught  me  something. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

No  doubt.     But,  I  won't  sacrifice  my  girl  to  finish  your 
education. 

[Re-enter  SEELIG  -with  BURIULL. 

SEELIG. 

Mr.  Burrill  is  going.     He  first  wishes  to  speak  with  Mr. 
De  Lota. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Why? 

SEELIG. 
Sarah! 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Pardon. 

BURRILL. 

A  business  matter,  Mrs.  Seelig.     If  you  are  leaving,  Mr. 
De  Lota,  I'll  walk  with  you — if  you  permit. 

D  E  LOTA. 
I  have  some  business  with  Dr.  Seelig. 

BURRILL. 
Could  you  spare  us  a  few  minutes? 

SEELIG. 
Well?     De  Lota? 


152  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

D  E  LOTA. 
With  pleasure. 

SEELIG. 
[Going.]     Sarah. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
[7n  undertone.]     You  told  him? 

[SEELIG  nods.     Goes  out  with  MRS.  SEELIG. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Well? 

B  U  E  R  I  L  L. 

I'm  going  to  give  you  a  chance  to  retire  from  this,  Mr. 
De  Lota,  without  exposure. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Good  of  you. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 

Miss  Seelig  believes  that  you  have  served  time  in  a  peni- 
tentiary. 

D  E  LOTA. 
You  told  her  that? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

I  hadn't  met  you  when  I  told  Miss  Seelig  that  the  man 
who  got  an  engagement  in  Antoine's  Theatre  for  Mimi 
Chardenet  had  been  in  prison.  Then  you  came  into  the 
room  and  told  the  rest  yourself. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Miss  Seelig's  belief  is  based  on  those  two  remarks? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  153 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

Yes. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Reinforced,  I  suppose  by  your  own  opinion. 

B  u  E  E  i  :L  L. 
I  have  tried  to  conceal  my  opinion. 

D  E  LOTA. 
What  is  your  opinion,  Mr.  Burrill? 

B  IT  E  E  I  L  L. 

That  I  saw  you  sentenced  in  the  Cour  d' Assizes  to  a 
year's  imprisonment. 

D  E  LOTA. 
And  you  threaten  to  say  so? 

B  u  E  E  i  L  L. 
I  hope  I'm  a  little  cleaner  than  that,  I  threaten  nothing. 

D  E  LOTA. 
What  is  it  you're  doing? 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L,. 

I  foresee  trouble — I  inform  you  of  it. 

D  E  LOTA. 
You  mean  you  foresee  Miss  Seelig  asking  me  a  question? 


154  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

B  U  R  R  I  1,  L,. 

Yes !  I  foresee  your  answer  failing  to  satisfy.  I  foresee 
her  doubt  grow  deeper — I  foresee  her  going  to  her  father 
with  that  doubt. 

D  E  LOTA. 

And  then  ? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
I  foresee  Doctor  Seelig  asking  what  I  know. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Ah!  Now  we  have  it.  Disguised,  but  still  the  threat. 
You  tell  Doctor  Seelig  your  belief. 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
I  shall  decline  to  express  my  belief. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Same  thing,  isn't  it?  Your  reluctance  and  your  shrugs 
being  quite  as  convincing. 

B  U  R  R  I  L,  L. 

You  can  hardly  ask  me  to  lie  for  you. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Miss  Vedah  may  believe  me. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

No,  she  has  asked  me  more  than  once  to  write  to  Paris. 

DE  LOTA. 

It  would  make  this  bluff  of  fair  play  very  convincing  if 
you  did  write  to  persons  whose  names  I  can  furnish  you. 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  155 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

You  mean  arrange  a  deception. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  mean  write — show  Miss  Seelig  your  letters.  Wait — 
show  her  the  answers. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

You  make  it  pretty  hard  to  keep  still,  believe  me. 

D  E  LOTA. 
You  think  I'm  unworthy  to  marry  this  girl. 

B  u  R  R  I  L  L. 
I  know  you  are. 

D  E  LOTA. 

[Pause,'}  I'm  going  to  tell  you  the  truth  about  that  Pari* 
affair. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

I  don't  care  to  hear  it. 

D  E  LOTA. 

You  don't  want  the  truth? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
I  don't  want  your  confidence.     I  won't  be  bound  by  it. 

D  E  LOTA. 

You're  a  man's  man,  Burrill — you  fight  in  the  open. 
Your  part  in  this  architect's  row  shows  that.  Now,  in  fair 
play —  [Telephone  rings. 


156  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

Someone  will  come  to  answer  that.  Our  interview's  at  an 
end. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Wait.  [Goes  quickly  to  telephone  and  takes  receiver 
from  its  hook.]  They  may  not  come.  [Pause.]  I  have 
served  a  year  in  a  French  prison.  Captain  Dreyfus  served 
even  longer  for  the  same  prejudice. 

B  u  E  E  i  L  L. 
Your  crime  was  proven. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I'm  as  good  as  you,  Mr.  Burrill,  or  any  bachelor  that 
spends  his  several  years  in  Paris.  That  imprisonment  was 
a  decoration. 

B  u  E  E  i  L  L. 

Rot! 

D  E  LOTA. 

I'm  not  a  male  ingenue.  Doctor  Seelig  knows  I've  had 
my  wild  oats  and  I'll  make  a  clean  breast  of  it — my  suffer- 
ings for  my  race  will  not  be  held  against  me.  Vedah  Seelig 
is  a  Jewess,  remember,  and — 

B  u  E  E  i  L  L. 

Be  still,  she's  a  clean,  high-minded  girl — she'll  forgive 
adultery  in  you  no  quicker  than  she'd  forgive  it  anywhere. 

D  E  LOTA. 

You  think  so? 

B  U  E  E  I  L,  L. 

I  do. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  157 

D  E  LOTA. 

And  that  belief  determines  you  to  bring  it  to  her  knowl- 
edge? 

B  u  R  R  i  L  :L. 
It  is  already  brought  to  her  knowledge.     You  did  that. 

D  E  LOTA. 

And  you  make  the  consequence  as  sinister  as  if  it  had 
been  planned? 

B  u  R  R  1 1,  L. 

I  won't  conspire  to  hoodwink  a  girl  into  marrying  you. 
[Enter  SEELIO.]     [Pause. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

That  'phone  rang? 

D  E  LOTA. 
Yes — I  was  going  to  answer  it. 

S  E  E  L,  i  G. 

I  answered  it — on  the  branch — upstairs.     I  heard  what 
you  were  saying. 

B  u  R  E  i  L  L. 
Through  that? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Yes. 

[SEELIG  replaces  receiver  on  phone. 

D  E  LOTA. 
I  was  telling  Mr.  Burrill  a  story — for  a  magazine. 


158  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[To  BURRILL.]     Is  that  true? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

I  can't  answer  you. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
In  prison! 

D  E  LOTA. 
The  man  I  was  quoting. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Why  should  a  man  in  a  story  say:  "Vedah  Seelig  is  a 
Jewess,  remember."  Why  should  Mr.  Burrill  interrupt 
you  to  defend  her? 

BURRILL. 
Good  day,  Doctor. 

[BURRILL  goes. 

SEELIG. 
Your  confession — just  now — [Indicates  phone. 

D  E  LOTA. 

At  that  time  in  Paris,  with  public  hatred  at  a  white  heat, 
an  obsolete  law  was  dug  up  to  persecute  a  foreigner  and  a 
Jew. 

SEELIG. 
What  law? 

D  E  LOTA. 

Imprisoning  a  man  on  the  complaint  of  a  woman's  hus- 
band. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  159 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
We  are  fortunate  to  learn  it. 

D  E  LOTA. 

There  are  some  Jews  I'd  expect  to  condemn  me — apos- 
tates, renegades,  that  join  the  wolves,  but  not  you.  That 
imprisonment  was  my  share  of  the  hatred  the  race  sustains. 
You're  big  enough  to  see  that  and  dismiss  it.  As  for  the 
offense  itself — well — you  know  men,  Doctor  Seelig.  You're 
a  physician — not  a  Rabbi. 

SEELIG. 
Clayton's  home  was  not  your  first  adventure? 

D  E  LOTA. 
I  didn't  know  this  man  in  Paris. 

SEELIG. 
You  knew  Clayton? 

D  E  LOTA. 

Yes. 

SEELIG. 
That's  enough. 

D  E  LOTA. 
And  Mrs.  Clayton? 

SEELIG. 
What  of  her? 

D  E  LOTA. 
You  brought  her  here. 


160  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Well? 

D  E  LOTA. 
You  excuse  her  and  condemn  me? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Pause.'}  There  is  a  cynical  maxim  that  every  country 
has  the  kind  of  Jews  it  deserves.  This  generous  New  York 
deserves  the  best.  A  Jew  has  destroyed  the  home  of  a 
benefactor,  a  Jew  intimate  in  my  own  home  approved  by 
me  and  mine.  I  shall  do  what  I  can  to  repair  that  destruc- 
tion. 

D  E  LOTA. 

There's  some  extenuation. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

What? 

D  E  LOTA. 

This  engagement  to  Vedah  is  not  the  first  time  I  have 
believed  I  was  in  love.  There  was  one  other — when  I  was 
much  younger.  The  father  of  the  Christian  girl  was  a 
Jew-baiter. 

S  E  E  1. 1  G. 
Well? 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  was  thrown  over — not  because  I  wasn't  a  man — not 
because  I  hadn't  ability — nor  ambition — nor  strength  nor 
promise  of  success  but — I  was  a  Jew. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  161 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

You  will  pay  that  price — the  price  of  being  a  Jew — al- 
most every  day  of  your  life. 

D  E  LOTA. 

I  know — in  money — in  opportunity — in  sensibilities — 
yes;  but  that  time  I  paid  it — with  all  those  and — more. 
[Pause.]  Consider  then  the  temptation  when  that  woman 
who  had  thrown  me  over  and  married  her  Christian  found 
that  she  still  could  listen  to  the  Jew. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Pause.']  This  would  be  a  proud  moment  for  me,  Ben- 
jamin, if  one  of  my  own  people  had  told  me  that  story  just 
as  you  have  told  it  except — that  his  revenge  had  been  to 
protect  this  Christian  woman  from  herself. 

CLAYTON 

[Noise  at  door.]      [CLAYTON  enters  violently. 

[To  HOLLAND  who  restrains  him.]  Don't  put  your  hand 
on  my  arm.  [Seeing  DE  LOTA.]  I  thought  so. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
[Interposing.]     Thought  what? 

CLAYTON. 
I  called  you  on  the  'phone — I  heard  that  dog's  voice. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

One  moment — [To  DE  LOTA,  who  confronts  CLAYTCN.] 
Go.  [DE  LOTA  starts  out. 


162  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 
He  came  here  to  see  her. 

D  E  LOTA. 
[Angrily  returning.]     Yes.     To  see  her! 

SEELIG. 

[Loudly  and  again  interposing.]      I  said  go. 
[DE  LOTA  sullenly  goes. 

CLAYTON. 

And  you  stand  for  it.     Your  house. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Judge  Hoover  was  with  Mrs.  Clayton — also  Mrs.  Seelig 
—then  I. 

CLAYTON. 
And  my  boy.     Where  was  Dick? 

SEELIG. 
In  his  room. 

CLAYTON. 

Well,   I   want   him.     lie   shan't  be  corrupted   by   their 
damned  assignations. 

SEELIG. 
His  first  call,  Frank,  and  his  last. 

CLAYTON. 
That  part  of  it  doesn't  interest  me. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  163 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

And  your  threatened  divorce  was  the  reason? 

CLAYTON. 

I  thought  they'd  get  together  on  that.     Well — I  want 
Dick.     [Pause.']     Send  for  him,  please. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

In  a  minute.     He'll  be  glad  to  see  you — but  you  mustn't 
say  anything  before  him  you'll  regret. 

CLAYTON. 
I  promise.     I  just  want  him,  that's  all. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
He's  with  his  mother,  you  know. 

CLAYTON. 
Well? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

And  Judge  Hoover  is  also  with  Elinor. 

CLAYTON. 
What  of  it? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Nothing — except — well,  the  boy.     There  mustn't  be  a 
dispute,  Frank. 

CLAYTON. 
Say  that  to  them. 


164  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

And  you  can't  treat  Mrs.  Clayton  as  tho*  she  were  a 
guilty  woman. 

CLAYTON. 
Why  can't  I  ? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Because  in  the  first  place  she  isn't  guilty. 

CLAYTON. 
Isn't? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

No. 

CLAYTON. 
She  fools  you,  Seelig. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

The  physician  who  takes  a  woman  through  the  sacred 
crises  of  her  life — mental  as  well  as  physical — can't  be  de- 
ceived, Frank,  and  in  the  second  place  you  have  forfeited  the 
right  to  judge  her — you  came  into  court  yourself  unclean. 

CLAYTON. 
And  therefore  can't  resent  adultery. 

SEELIG. 
Her  defiant  visit  to  De  Lota's  rooms  wasn't  adultery. 

CLAYTON. 

Damnation!  when  a  woman's  gone  that  far,  the  specific 
degrees  of  her  behavior  aren't  important. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  165 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

They're  very  important,  especially  when  they  show  re- 
covery. A  woman  who  stops  at  the  edge  of  the  precipice 
instead  of  taking  the  headlong  plunge,  mustn't  be  thrown 
into  the  gulf — and  that  by  the  man  she  herself  had  already 
rescued — by  the  man  whose  brutality  forced  her  into  the 
peril. 

CLAYTON. 
Brutality ! 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

A  word  ill  chosen — I  meant  bestiality — who  are  you 
to  pass  sentence  upon  her? 

CLAYTON. 
Unfortunately  the  man  who  married  her. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Why!  Dismiss  the  moral  view  of  marriage.  Consider 
it  only  as  our  modern  and  manly  and  commercial  mind  is 
organized  to  consider  it — a  civil  covenant — no  more. 

CLAYTON. 
What  then? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Why,  even  then  your  position  is  that  of  a  thief — a  con- 
fessed embezzler — complaining  in  his  hypocrisy  of  what? 
— that  his  partner's  books  appear  inaccurate.  That  is  the 
proportion.  On  the  sacred  side  of  the  relation  you  are 
doubly  guilty — guilty  of  your  immoral  conduct — guilty  of 
your  base  example  and  guilty  of  goading  a  good  woman 
into  desperate  things.  For  God's  sake,  Frank  Clayton, 


166  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

cleanse  your  mind  of  its  masculine  conceit,  prejudice,  sel- 
fishness and  partiality — recognize  your  own  destructive 
work — admit  it — regret  it,  undo  it,  and  ask  a  good  woman's 
forgiveness. 

[CLAYTON  laughs  ironically. 

[HOOVER  and  ELINOR  enter.  Her  appearance 
stills  CLAYTON,  a*  he  turns  and  sees  her. 

ELINOR. 

Frank?     [Extends  her  hand  pleadingly. 

CLAYTON. 
Well? 

ELINOR. 
I'm  in  the  dust — forgive  me. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[In  undertone.']     Judge — 

[Starts  out,  HOOVER  following. 

CLAYTON. 

[Checking  them.]      No — none  of  that.     Let's  not  con- 
trive any  interview  of  repentance. 

E  L  I  N  o  E. 

You — you're  not  going  to  drag  the — whole  story  into  the 
courts. 

CLAYTON. 

I'm  going  to — [Pause.]  do  only  what  is  necessary. 
ELINOR. 

[Sits — speaks  "with  effort  at   control."]      As  we  forgive 
— those  that  trespass  against  a* — 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  167 

CLAYTON. 

It's  too  late  to  adjust  matters  with  a  few  appropriate 
quotations. 

HOOVER. 
You  won't  waive  any  right  by  a  reasonable  delay. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

None — so  for  pity's  sake,  Frank,  tell  Colonel  Emory  to 
wait. 

CLAYTON. 
I've  retained  my  own  counsel — I  don't  ask  other  advice. 

ELINOR. 
[Brokenly.']     Why — why  do  you  come  to  see  me? 

CLAYTON. 

I  don't!  I  came  because  your  friend  Mr.  De  Lota  was 
here  with  you. 

ELINOR. 
Frank! 

HOOVER. 
7  brought  De  Lota. 

CLAYTON. 

[Explosively.]  I  don't  object.  [Then  with  fateful  con- 
trol.] I'm  just  going  to  take  Dick  out  of  the  muck,  that's 
all. 

ELINOR. 
Dick! 


168  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

HOOVER. 

[Bristling.]     The  law  prescribes  the  only  way  that — 

ELINOR. 

[Quickly  interposing.]  Father — don't — don't.  We 
mustn't  talk  of  law  and  its  wrangle  over  Dick.  Frank's 
perfectly  right.  If  I  were  meeting  Mr.  De  Lota  after  the 
terrible  mistake  of  that  night  Dick  shouldn't  be  in  my  care 
at  all.  [Turns  to  CLAYTON.]  It — it  was  on  account  of  the 
suit — that's  all.  If  you  let  Colonel  Emory  do  that  cruel 
thing  without  believing  me.  Father  brought  him — Dick 
wasn't  here.  I  said  that  I  wouldn't  bring  up  my  jealousy 
of  that  woman  in  Paris — nothing  to  blacken  the  name  of 
Dick's  father— didn't  I?  [Turns  to  HOOVER. 

HOOVER. 
She  did. 

ELINOR. 

[Again  to  CLAYTON.]  You  must  see  Dick — but  leave 
him  here,  Frank,  until  you  know  the  very  truth — about — it 
all.  You  get  him,  father — 

HOOVER. 

[Going.]  Of  course.  I've  seen  fifty  cases  that  looked 
worse  than  this  smoothed  out  by  a  little  patience. 

ELINOR. 
[Anxiously.]     Get  Dick. 

CLAYTON. 
You  saw  De  Lota? 

ELINOR. 
With  father. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  169 

HOOVER. 

[Turning.]  De  Lota's  statement  to  me,  Frank  was  iden- 
tical with  Elinor's. 

CLAYTON. 
Never  mind. 

HOOVER. 

[Coming  back.]  I've  got  to  mind — you're  not  informed. 
Elinor  and  De  Lota  were  friends  before  you  ever  came  to 
New  York.  [ELINOR  tries  to  silence  HOOVER. 

CLAYTON. 
Friends? 

ELINOR. 

[Pause,  and  as  CLAYTON  glares   at   her.]      Yes.      [To 
HOOVER.]     Get  Dick.     Go — don't  say  any  more. 
[HOOVER  goes. 

CLAYTON. 

[Accusingly.]  I  introduced  De  Lota  to  you  only  a  year 
ago. 

ELINOR. 
I  know,  but — 

CLAYTON. 
Why  pretend  you  were  not  acquainted? 

ELINOR. 
I — I  was  considering  his  feelings. 

CLAYTON. 
What  do  you  mean  by  that? 


170  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

ELINOR. 
Before  I  knew  you — we  were  engaged. 

CLAYTON. 
Engaged. 

ELINOR. 

He  and  I.  Father  objected  on  account  of  De  Lota's 
race — and — Father  forbade  me  ever  to  speak  of  it  in  his 
hearing.  When  you  and  I  met  I  was  still  over-senstive 
about  it  and — . 

CLAYTON. 

[Furiously.]  No,  by  God!  It  won't  do.  You  can't 
square  it.  I  see  it  now.  I've  been  a  dupe  for  years  and 
years. 

ELINOR. 
I  never  saw  him  again  until  you  brought  him  home. 

CLAYTON. 
Don't,  I'm  through  with  it.     [Going. 

ELINOR. 
Frank— don't  go— wait!     See   Dickl 

CLAYTON. 

[Turning.]     Dick. 

ELINOR. 
You  must  see  your  boy. 

CLAYTON. 

My  boy !     How  do  I  know  he's  my  boy  ? 
[£LINOR  and  SEELIO  both  exclaim. 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  171 

E  L  I  N  O  E. 

Oh! 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Frank! 

CLAYTON. 

You've  lived  a  lie  about  that  blackguard  all  along  until 
I  trap  you  in  his  room. 

ELINOR. 

But  Dick — our  baby  Dick.    For  God's  sake,  Frank,  don't 
say  a  thing  like  that. 

CLAYTON. 

Why  not,  if  it's  here — here — [Striking  forehead.]     And 
hell  itself  can't  burn  it  out. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
[At  the  door.]     Frank— it's  the  boy. 

CLAYTON. 
No— no! 

[Turn*  and  goes  rapidly  out  by  the  other  door. 
[Enter  DICK. 

ELINOR. 

[To  SEELIO.]     What  have  I  done?     I  didn't  know— I 
didn't  know. 

DICK. 

[To  ELINOR.]     Where's  Papa? 


172  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

ELINOR. 

[With  a  heart-broken  cry.~\  Ah!  [Kneels  and  takes 
DICK  in  her  arms.]  My  boy — my  boy — [Brushes  back  his 
hair.]  Our  baby — boy.  [Kisses  and  embraces  him  hysteri- 
cally, sobbing. 

CURTAIN. 


ACT    IV. 


ACT    FOUR 


CENE:    Same  as  Act  II,  the  Lounging 
Room  at   Clayton's.     A   large  couch  is 
drawn  up  in  front  of  fire.     The  room  is 
lighted  only   by   the  lamp  on  the  small 
table  and  a  candelabrum  near  the  tele- 
phone.     The  pictures   on   the   wall  are 
awry,  and  there  is  a  look  of  general  desola- 
tion about  the  place.     A   window  is  open  at  left  side  of 
room  and  the  sound  of  church  bells  comes  in. 

DISCOVERED:  CLAYTON  on  couch  near  fire — steamer  rug 
over  him — he  in  dressing  gown  and  slippers.  His  shoes  are 
on  floor. 

[Enter  SUTTON  from  dining-room  carrying  tray. 


I  beg  pardon,  sir. 


Well? 


SUTTON. 


CLAYTON. 


SUTTON. 

I've  a  bowl  of  bouillon  and  some  toast — I  thought  maybe 
you'd  try  it,  sir. 

CLAYTON. 

[Indifferently.]     Thank  you,  Sutton. 

SUTTON. 

[Putting  tray  on  table  at  head  of  the  couch.]  Shall  I 
put  it  nearer?  [CLAYTON  shakes  head.]  If  you'd  rather 
have  a  milk  punch,  sir? 

175 


176  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 

No. 

S  U  T  T  O  N. 

Or  an  egg-nogg — [CLAYTON  shakes  head. 

CLAYTON. 
You  might  shut  that  window. 

S  U  TTO  N. 

Yes,  sir.     [Going  to  the  window. 

CLAYTON. 

Those  damn  bells — 

S  u  T  T  o  N. 
Yes,  sir.     [Closes  window. 

CLAYTON. 
When  did  Doctor  Seeling  say  he'd  come? 

S  u  TT  o  N. 
As  soon  as  possible. 

CLAYTON. 
And  it's  been  three  hours. 

S  U  TT  O  N. 

Nearly  three  hours,  yes,  sir.     There's  the  door — may  be 
Doctor  now. 

[Goes  to  hall. 

[CLAYTON  re-arranges  pillow  and  lies  down  again. 

[HOOVER'S  voice  is  heard  outside. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  177 

S  U  T  T  O  N. 

[Also  outside.]     He's  lying  down — in  the  smoking  room. 
[Enter  SUTTON. 
[HOOVER  and  ELINOR  appear  in  hallway. 

SUTTON. 

[Leaning  over  the  back  of  the  couch.]     Pardon,  sir — 
Judge  Hoover! 

CLAYTON. 

[Shaking  head.]     No— 

SUTTON. 
And  Mrs.  Clayton,  sir. 

CLAYTON. 
[Sitting  up.]     Here? 

H  o  o  v  E  n. 

[Entering.]      I   don't   want  to   intrude,   Frank,  but — it 
seems  necessary.     Come  in,  Elinor! 

[SUTTON   goes.]      [ELINOR   comes   down   to  the 
couch. 

CLAYTON. 

You'll  have  to  see  my  attorney.    I'm  not  able  to  talk  any 
business. 

ELINOR. 
[Tenderly.]     You're  ill,  Frank? 

CLAYTON. 
[Coldly.]     Resting  a  minute — 


178  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

ELINOR. 

I'm  sorry  to  disturb  you,  but — it's  for  Dick.  [Pause.] 
[CLAYTON  motions  slightly  to  a  chair  which  HOOVER  places 
— ELINOR  sits.]  You  know  that  to-morrow  is — a  holiday? 
[CLAYTON  nods.]  Dick's  eager  about  it — 

CLAYTON. 

[Complainingly  to  HOOVER.]     This  isn't  necessary,  is  it? 

ELINOR. 

Dick's  talked  for  days  about  his  tree  and  hanging  up  his 
stocking  by  the  big  fireplace  at  home.  Our  difference, 
Frank,  mustn't  put  a  blight  on  the  boy's  Christmas. 

CLAYTON. 
[In  undertone.]     My  God!     What  drivel! 

ELINOR. 

Drivel  when  I  repeat  it — if  you  will — but  not  as  little 
Dick  talks  it  day  after  day.  His  love  for  you  isn't  drivel. 

CLAYTON. 

[To  HOOVER.]  You  promised  Emory  to  begin  suit  if  I'd 
keep  quiet. 

HOOVER. 
Yes. 

CLAYTON. 
Nearly  a  month  ago. 

HOOVER. 
I  know — but — [Turns  to  ELINOR. 


AS     A    MAN    THINKS  179 

E  L  I  N  O  K. 

7  refuse.  There's  nothing  left  me  to  live  for  but  my 
baby  and  his  happiness.  I  won't — I  won't  bring  an  accu- 
sation against  his  father — [CLAYTON  moves  away  wearily 
to  mantel — ELINOR  rises.]  You  are  his  father  and  only 
your  wish  to  crush  me  makes  you  pretend  to  doubt  it.  I've 
forfeited  your  love,  I  know — I'm  not  here  to  plead  against 
that — but  to  avoid  any  scar  I  can  for  the  boy's  heart.  I 
want  you  to  let  Dick  come  here  to-morrow — [CLAYTON 
moves  impatiently.]  Not  with  me — with  Miss  Doane.  I 
want  you  to  see  him — and  take  him  in  your  arms — 

CLAYTON. 

[Shakes  head.]      No- 
ll O  O  V  E  R. 

[With  some  indignation.]  Whatever  he  is — he's  a  child, 
and  for  seven  years  this  was  his  home. 

CLAYTON. 

There'll  be  other  anniversaries.  He  may  as  well  learn 
now. 

ELINOR. 

No — not  now.  When  he's  old  enough  to  understand  I'll 
tell  him— the  truth. 

CLAYTON. 
What  is  the  truth? 

ELINOR. 

That  his  mother — was  a  foolish  woman  who  thought  her 
husband  didn't  understand  her.  That  his  father  punished 


180  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

her  out  of  all  proportion  to  her  offense,  but  only  as  women 
must  expect  punishment. 

C  L  A  Y  T  O  TT. 

[Sneering.]     I  know — because  men  are  brutes. 

ELINOR. 

Because — God  has  put  into  woman's  keeping  a  trust — of 
which  no  one — neither  husbands  nor  fathers  tell  them  truly 
— about  which  the  world  in  its  vain  disputes  of  equality 
misleads  them — of  which  they  learn  only  through  their 
own  suffering. 

CLAYTON. 

[Leaving  ELINOR  and  going  to  HOOVER.]  This  kind  of 
thing  is — what  I  try  to  escape. 

ELINOR. 

[Following.'}  Let  Dick  spend  his  Christmas  morning 
here.  [CLAYTON  shakes  head.]  You  used  to  ask  after  him 
every  day  until  you  took  this  cruel  pose  of  pretending  that 
he's  not  your  boy. 

CLAYTON. 

[To  HOOTER.]     Please— 

ELINOR. 

I  couldn't  tell  you  in  Doctor  Seelig's  presence  plainly 
enough.  You  know  Father's  insane  antipathy  to — [Pause.] 
to  those  people.  Any  word — the  most  sacred — any  name — 
the  most  honored — by  scornful  repetition  becomes  a  re- 
proach, and  I  had  grown  fearful  of  ridicule  about  my  for- 
mer friendship  for — Ben  De  Lota.  That  was  my  sole  rea- 
Son  for  silence. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  181 

CLAYTON. 

[Wearily.]      My  God! 

HOOVER. 

Elinor,  Frank!     [Indicates  hall. 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

[Outside.]     Is  he  too  ill  to  be  seen  a  moment? 

HOOVER. 

[Peering  cautiously  into  hall.]     Woman,  too. 
[Enter  SUTTON. 

S  u  T  T  o  N. 
Mr.  Burrill,  sir. 

CLAYTON. 

I  said  no  one  but  Doctor  Seeb'g. 
SUTTON. 
Miss  Seelig,  Doctor's  daughter,  is  with  Mr.  Burrill. 

ELINOR. 
Father!  [Going  quickly  out  by  dining  room  door. 

HOOVER. 
[Following.]  I  want  a  word,  Frank,  when  they're  gone. 

CLAYTON. 
But  not  with  her. 

HOOVER. 

No— she'll  go. 

[HOOVER  leaves. 


182  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 

My  coat!  [SUTTON  gets  CLAYTON'S  coat  and  waistcoat 
from  the  table — CLAYTON  takes  them  and  nods  for  SUTTON 
to  go. 

[SUTTON  goes. 

[CLAYTON  feebly  unbuttons  his  dressing  gown, 
pauses,  wearily  throws  coat  and  waistcoat  to  a 
chair  from  which  they  slip  to  the  floor.  CLAY- 
TON sits  on  the  couch. 

[BURRILL  and  VEDAH  enter. 

BURRILL. 
Sorry  to  disturb  you,  Mr.  Clayton. 

VEDAH. 
And  your  man  says  you're  not  well. 

CLAYTON. 

Nothing!  Won't  you  be  seated?  [ VEDAH  takes  chair 
BURRILL  places  for  her. 

BURRILL. 

I'm — [Pause.]  That  is,  we're — well,  I  wanted  to  thank 
you  for  my  contract  on  the  court-house  sculpture. 

CLAYTON. 
They  gave  it  to  you,  did  they? 

BURRILL. 

Yes.  The  finished  marble  must  be  up  in  a  year.  Ma- 
terial— workmen — studio — everything's  cheaper  on  the  other 
side — 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  183 

CLAYTON. 
I  know. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 

So   I'm  sailing  day  after  to-morrow — unless  you  need 
me  here  in  the  architect's  libel  suit ! 

CLAYTON. 
They've  withdrawn  that. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 

They  have?     [CLAYTON  nods.    BURRILL  turns  eagerly  to 
VEDAH.]    Then  we  go — 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Yes! 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Vedah  and  I  have  been  married. 

CLAYTON. 
Married? 

B  U  R  R  I  L  L. 

Half  an  hour  ago. 

VEDAH. 
Yes.     [Rises  and  stands  by  BURRILL. 

B  u  R  R  i  L  L. 
[Taking  VEDAH'S  hand.]     I'm  the  happiest  man  alive. 

CLAYTON. 

[Moodily.]     Half  an  hour?     Ah,  yes.     [With  an  effort 
rises  and  goes  to  them.]     Well,  I  congratulate  you  both. 


184  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

V  E  D  A  H. 

Papa  and  Mama  don't  know  it  yet.     [BURRILL  goes  to  the 
fireplace. 

CLAYTON. 
An  elopement? 

VED  AH. 

Is  it?     If  we  didn't  leave  the  city? 

[Enter  SUTTON. 
Mrs.  Seeling,  sir. 

[VEDAH  anxiously  goes  to  BURRILL. 

[Enter  MRS.  SEELIG. 

[ SUTTON  goes  out. 

MBS.    SEELIG. 

Vedah.      [Sees    BURRILL.]      You    know    your    father's 
wishes. 

B  U  E  R  I  L  L. 

We've  been  married,  Mrs.  Seelig. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Vedah! 

VEDAH. 
Yes,  Mama. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
When? 

VEDAH. 
At  five  o'clock. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
How?    Who  married  you? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  185 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

A  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

MES.    SEELIG. 
Frank!     [Turns  to  CLAYTON. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[Going  to  her  mother.]    Remember  your  parents  objected 
to  Papa. 

MES.    SEELIG. 

[To  CLAYTON.]     My  father  was  a  Rabbi — Doctor  Seelig's 
ideas  were  advanced — even  his  own  people  thought  so. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

No  couple  could  be  happier  than  you  have  been. 

MES.    S  E  E  L,  i  G. 

Is  this  happiness — my  only  daughter  runs  away — why? 
To-day?     Why  secretly? 

B  U  E  E  I  L  L. 

I'm  sailing  for  Paris. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
[Returning  to  BURRILL.]     To  be  gone  a  year. 

B  u  E  E  i  L  L. 
The  separation  was  impossible. 

MES.     S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Couldn't  you  have  trusted  Vedah  that  long? 


186  AS    A    MAN     TUINKS 

V  E  D  AH. 

It  was  /,  Mama. 

MRS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 
You? 

V  E  D  A  H. 

To  risk  a  sculptor  in  Paris  ?    Oh  no ! 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
Well,  go  home  and  tell  your  poor  father. 

VE  D  A  H. 
I  want  you  with  us,  Mama. 

B  u  R  R  i  L.  L. 
I'm  willing  to  tell  the  Doctor  alone. 

V  E  D  A  H. 

[In  alarm.]      No. 

MRS.     S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Very  well,  wait  for  me  and  we'll  meet  Papa  together. 

V  E  D  A  H. 
[  To  C  LATTON . ]     Good-bye ! 

[They  shake  hand,. 

CLAYTON. 
Good-bye.     [Shakes  hands  -frith  BVRRILL.]     Bon  voyage. 

B  UR  RILL. 
Thank  yon.     [Stertt  ami  vitk  VEDAH. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  187 

MRS.     S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Impulsively.]  Vedah!  [VEDAH  turns,  Mag.  SEELIG 
embraces  and  kisses  her. 

B  URBILL 

Thank  you,  Mrs.  Seelig.     [Goes  out  with  VEDAH. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

[Sighing  and  turning  to  CLAYTON  who  i*  at  the  fire- 
place.] I  left  Elinor — waiting  for  Judge  Hoover.  When 
I  go  back  I  want  to  carry  her  some  comfort. 

C  L  A  Y  T  O  X. 

Your  arrival  will  do  that,  Mrs.  Seelig. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
I  hope  so.     This  is  Christmas  Eve,  you  know. 

C  L  A  Y  T  O  X. 

Yes. 

MBS.    SEELIG. 

Little  Dick  has  always  found  his  stocking — in  there. 
[Indicates  the  music  room. 

CLAYTON. 

Mrs.  Clayton  mustn't  use  Dick  to  break  down  my  de- 
cision. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 

I  bought  a  little  tree — [Indicates  its  height.]  I  caught 
the  Christian  shopkeeper  smiling — but  no  matter.  I  had 
Sutton  take  it  in  at  the  tradesman's  entrance.  [CLAYTOX 


188  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

turns  away.]  I  know.  You  think  that  is  more  indelicacy 
characteristic  of  the  race — but  Vedah  is  going  with  that 
young  man — my  own  heart  is  alive  to  the  suffering  around 
us.  Yours? — yes!  it  comes  soon  enough  to  us  all — but 
Frank!— that  little  boy  who  is— 

CLAYTON. 

Please !  Mrs.  Seelig,  the  doctor's  ordered  me  to  avoid  all 
excitement.      [Sits  wearily  on  couch. 

MBS.    SEELIG. 
[Sympathetically.']     He  didn't  tell  us. 

CLAYTON. 
Not  Doctor  Seelig. 

Mus.    SEELIG. 
Oh! 

CLAYTON. 

A  specialist — but  he  doesn't  help  me.     Sutton  'phoned 
and  I'm  waiting  for  Doctor  Seelig  now. 

MBS.    SEELIG. 

Now?     I  can't  meet  him  here.     But  that  tree's  in  the 
house  and  you  must  let  us  bring  Dick  over. 

[Enter  HOOVER. 

H  O  O  V  E  B. 

Pardon. 

MBS.    SEELIG. 

I'm  going — Good  night. 
[She  goes. 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  189 

CLAYTON. 
[Pause.]     Where  is—? 

HOOVER. 

Elinor?  [Clayton  nods.]  She  left  immediately.  [CLAY- 
TON lies  down  on  couch.]  She's — not — a  bad  woman, 
Frank!  What  she  said  about  my  opposition  was  true — but 
we  all  learn.  I  didn't  know  the  hearts  those  people  had  in 
'em — [Pause.]  And  her  girlish  affair  with  De  Lota  was 
— well,  you  know  Elinor's  craze  for  music.  That's  the  ex- 
planation— attraction  was  mostly  artistic. 

[Enter  SUTTON. 

Doctor  Seelig. 

CLAYTON. 

You'll  have  to  excuse  me,  Judge. 

HOOVER. 

Sorry  to  see  you — ill,  old  man. 
[Enter  SEELIG. 

SEELIG. 
Good  evening. 

HOOVER. 

Good  evening,  Doctor.  [Going,  extends  hand.]  I  wish 
you — [Pause.]  the  compliments  of  the  season. 

SEELIG. 
The  same  to  you,  Judge. 

[HOOVER  goes.]     [SUTTON  takes  SEELIG'B  hat  and 
coat. 


190  AS    A    MAN     THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Well,  Frank — under  the  weather?     [Leans  over  back  of 
couch. 

CLAYTON. 
Pretty  rotten. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Need  a  little  air  in  here. 

CLAYTON. 
I  couldn't  stand  the  damned  bells. 

S  E  £  L  I  G. 

Better  stand  them  a  minute. 

[Opens  -window.      The  sound  of  church   bells  is 
heard. 

CLAYTON. 
"Peace  on  earth,  good  will  to  men." 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

How  long  have  you  been  this  way?     [Taking  CLAYTON'S 
pulse. 

CLAYTON. 
Been  here — since  last  night. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
Drinking? 

CLAYTON. 
Very  little. 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  191 

SEELIG. 

Pain  anywBere? 

CLAYTON. 
Some — back  of  my  neck  near  the  shoulders. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Headache?  [CLAYTON  shakes  head.]  No  other  pains? 
[CLAYTON  shakes  head.]  What  kept  you  in  the  house? 

CLAYTON. 
I  feel  all  in — rotten  tired. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

I'd  have  come  earlier,  Frank,  but  a  long  list.  Then  there 
was  an  accident  to  a  little  chap  on  Third  Avenue — they 
brought  him  to  the  hospital — smaller  than  your  boy.  We 
operate  on  him  at  eight-thirty.  [Regards  watch.]  When  I 
got  away  from  that  the  police  stopped  us  at  every  cross 
street.  Wonderful  sight  on  the  Avenue — people  seem  to 
have  money.  I  think  a  prosperity  Christmas. 

[Picks  up  the  coat  and  waistcoat  from  the  floor 
— folds  them.     Straightens  pictures  on  wall. 

CLAYTON. 

Can't    we    have    that    window    closed    now?      [Pause — 
SEELIG  closes  the  window,  shutting  out  the  sound  of  the 
Ha!     "Glad  tidings  of  great  joy." 

SEELIG. 
Comes  only  once  a  year. 


192  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 

You  any  respect  for  the  whole  business — that  Christ  fab- 
rication ? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Going  to  fireplace.']     You  mean  the  Church  idea — the 
creeds  ? 

CLAYTON. 
Yes. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Pause.']     I've  outgrown  the  one  my  own  mother  start- 
ed me  in,  but  I  take  off  my  hat  to  the  man. 

CLAYTON. 
Why! 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Oh,  He  knew — He'd  worked  it  all  out. 

CLAYTON. 
Worked  what  out? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

This  thing  we  call  Life.     He  knew  the  essence  of  it. 

CLAYTON. 
I  don't  see  that. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
"As  a  man  thinketh" — that  was  His  answer. 

CLAYTON. 

What  does  that  answer? 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS 


S  E  E  L  I  G. 


193 


Everything.  When  I  felt  your  pulse  there  and  let  go 
your  hand  you  carried  it  back  to  the  couch so. 

CLAYTON. 
Expect  me  to  keep  it  out  there  like  a  hat-rack? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
I'd  hoped  you  would  drop  it  a  little. 

CLAYTON. 
Why? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Hoped  you'd  relax.  Let's  try  it  now.  [Lifts  CLAYTON'S 
hand.]  Don't  tense  those  muscles — put  your  weight  oj; 
me.  [Drops  hand.]  There! 

CLAYTON. 
Well,  what  does  that  do  ? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

That's  the  only  part  of  your  body  that's  relaxed — Now  a 
deep  breath  and  let  go.  Don't  hold  yourself  up  from  the 
couch.  So!  [CLAYTON  does  as  told  and  perceptibly 
relaxes. 

CLAYTON. 

Nerves,  I  know. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Tapping  his  own  forehead.']  It's  this.  Why,  I  have 
patients — business  men — who  are  always  tied  up  like  a  wet 
fishing  line— sleep  that  way.  Do  you  know  why  that 
wrinkle  is  between  your  eyes? 


194  AS     A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 


I'm  sick,  that's  why. 


S  E  E  L  i  G. 


Because  the  wrinkle's  in  your  mind.  That  coat  I  took 
from  the  floor  said  mental  wrinkles,  "As  a  man  thinketh," 
my  dear  Frank.  [Pause.]  What  is  it  now — come? 

CLAYTON. 
You  don't  have  to  ask,  do  you? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
I  do  ask. 

CLAYTON. 

Just  to  keep  my  mind  on  it,  I  suppose? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
No — I  want  to  hear  you  talk  about  it. 

CLAYTON. 

My  mind  will  be  all  right,  I'll  be  all  right,  when  that 
damned  dog  is  dead  in  hell! 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
[Pause.]     You  hate  him  pretty  bitterly,  don't  you? 

CLAYTON. 
I  hate  him  the  best  I  know  how. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

You  know  what  good  hating  does  to  the  hater? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  195 

CLAYTON. 
You  mean  to  me? 

SEELIG. 

[Nodding.']    To  everybody.     Kills  him. 

CLAYTON. 
Kills  him? 

[SEELIG  nods. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Pause.]  Hate  generates  one  of  the  deadliest  poisons  in 
nature.  I've  had  trouble  in  my  time  saving  a  baby  that 
had  nursed  milk  from  the  breast  of  an  angry  woman. 
You've  heard  of  the  bite  of  a  blue  gum  negro  being  poison. 

CLAYTON. 
Knew  a  man  who  lost  his  thumb  that  way. 

SEELIG. 

Well,  it  is  no  more  poisonous  than  the  bite  of  a  red  gum 
negro,  or  the  bite  of  a  red  gum  white  man,  if  either  of  them 
gets  angry  enough,  the  blue  gum  negro  is  just  a  little  nearer 
the  animal  and  gets  mad  quicker,  that's  all.  Now,  you  lie 
here  with  this  grouch  of  yours  and  you  generate  constantly 
an  internal  poison.  I  haven't  any  medicines  that  can  beat 
that. 

CLAYTON. 

When  I  get  so  much  of  it  in  me  that  I  shoot  that  cur,  as 
I  shall  some  day,  they'll  call  it  murder. 

SEELIG. 

[Pause.]  I  used  to  get  pretty  angry  when  I  was  young- 
er, but  I  think  it  was  more  to  show  off. 


196  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 
You  mean  I  do  this  to  "show  off!" 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  mean  you  are  influenced  by  public  opinion.  If  you 
and  he  were  the  only  creatures  left  in  the  world  you'd  admit 
he  didn't  do  much  more  than  you'd  have  done  in  his  place. 

CLAYTON. 
You  mean  I'd  go  into  another  man's  home  and  ruin  it? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

This  man  didn't  come  into  your  home  and  ruin  it.  He 
meets  an  old  sweetheart,  meets  her  when  she  thinks  she  is 
being  neglected. 

CLAYTON. 

[Sitting  «p.]  Neglected?  Why,  she  had  this  house  and 
our  summer  place  at  Newport — a  forty-five  horse  power 
limousine — she  had — 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

See  here,  Frank,  you  were  neglecting  her.  He  did 
what  nine  men  out  of  ten  would  do.  He  knows  the  price 
that's  being  paid,  and  I  know,  that  he'd  walk  around  the 
Kelt  Line  to-night  in  the  snow,  barefooted,  to  have  the  rec- 
ord closed. 

CLAYTON. 

Suppose  you  think  I  ought  to  hunt  him  up  and  shake 
hands  with  him? 


AS    A     MAN     THINKS  197 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

No — don't  think  you  should  ever  see  him  again,  even  men- 
tally ;  but  it  doesn't  need  murder  to  acquire  that  attitude.  I 
want  you  to  be  big  enough  to  dismiss  it.  That's  why  I 
quote  this  carpenter-prophet  of  Nazareth — a  truth  that  took 
me  a  postgraduate  course  to  learn  and  twenty-five  years  to 
demonstrate — He  found  out  by  himself.  He  said  in  one  of 
his  first  sermons:  "Forgive,  and  ye  shall  be  forgiven;  give 
and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you,  good  measure  pressed  down, 
shaken  together  and  running  over  shall  men  give  unto  your 
bosom." 

CLAYTON. 

Oh  that  religious  elation — 


S  E  E  L  I  G. 

It  wasn't  religion  He  was  preaching,  but  a  good  working 
rule  of  life.  This  precept  of  good-will — people  regard  the 
words  "Good-will"  as  interchangeable  with  "Peace,"  but 
will  is  active,  good  will  is  a  constructive  force.  I've  seen  sick 
people  get  well  merely  through  two  or  three  hearty  good 
wishers  rooting  for  them.  I've  figured  it  out  that  there's  an 
influence  circulating  through  all  men  when  they'll  permit  it, 
just  as  the  current  through  that  lamp  goes  through  all  other 
lamps  in  this  house.  Stop  it  in  the  man  by  avarice  or  cu- 
pidity, divert  it  by  envy,  turn  it  back  by  hate,  and  some- 
thing goes  wrong  with  the  machinery.  "Give  and  it  shall  be 
given  unto  you." 

CLAYTON. 

You  take  Him  too  literally,  Doctor. 

S  E  E  L,  i  G. 

The  mistake  is  not  taking  Him  literally  enough.  I've 
cured  many  taking  that  sermon  literally.  [Sits  betide 


198  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON  on  his  couch.']  I  find  what  is  on  the  patient's 
mind.  Generally  some  hate  or  fear — sometimes  regret  or 
remorse — then  I  try  to  show  the  patient  that  yesterday  is 
yesterday,  that  his  past  life  doesn't  concern  him  any  more 
than  last  year's  snow.  If  I  can  get  a  man  looking  ahead — 
hopeful — anxious  to  get  on  the  job — why  he's  cured. 

CLAYTON. 

[Doggedly.]  I'll  look  ahead  when  I  get  even  with  this 
fellow. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Well,  say  you've  got  even — that  you've  dealt  him  some 
deadly  blow,  irreparably  injured  him  or  his  happiness! 
What  then?  My  dear  Frank,  there  is  nothing  so  disap- 
pointing as  a  satisfied  revenge.  \ 

CLAYTON. 
I  can't  forget  it. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
Yes  you  can. 

CLAYTON. 
It's  here  on  my  mind.     [Covers  his  eyes  and  forehead. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Because  your  mind  is  empty.  Work  is  the  answer  to 
your  condition. 

CLAYTON. 

[Shaking  hit  head.]     Too  late  for  that  now. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Nonsense !  Take  this  parable  of  the  eleventh  hour.  The 
jnen  in  that  were  kicking  because  those  who  had  worked  one 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  199 

hour  got  as  much  as  those  who  had  put  in  a  full  day.     Re- 
member what  the  Nazarene  proposed  to  pay. 

CLAYTON. 
What? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Peace  of  mind.  A  sharehold  in  what  He  called  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven.  The  eleventh  hour  men  worked  only 
one  hour,  but  they  worked — the  last  hour.  You  get  that 
peace  of  mind,  whenever — you  work,  whenever  you  do 
something — and  the  splendid  thing  is,  it's  never  too  late  to 
do  it.  [Rises  vigorously — stands  at  mantel. 

CLAYTON. 

[Wearily.']  Good  God,  Doctor,  a  man  can't  get  up  and 
work  at  something  he  doesn't  care  for  in  order  to  forget 
something  he's  thinking  of  all  the  time.  It's  well  enougli 
for  you — always  called  in  by  some  poor  devil  who  thinks 
you  can  help  him.  Give  me  your  job  and  your  equipment 
for  it  and  I'll  talk  hope  and  clean  living  myself. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Half  sadly.}  I  know  that  attitude.  It's  always  the 
next  pasture  that  seems  the  greenest.  If  I  have  any  regret 
it  is  that  instead  of  being  a  physician  I  wasn't  a  priest.  I 
think  most  diseases  are  not  physical  so  much  as  they  are 
mental  or  spiritual. 

CLAYTON. 
Well,  I'd  like  to  do  that  kind  of  thing  myself, 

S  E  E  L I  G. 
You  can  do  it. 


200  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 

I  can? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Yes — only  you  have  to  begin. 

CLAYTON. 
You  mean  with  myself? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  mean  with  the  work  that's  nearest  to  you,  Frank.  If  I 
wanted  you  to  walk  around  Central  Park  you  would  have  to 
get  up,  you  would  have  to  walk  to  the  door;  you  would  have 
to  go  down  the  steps;  you  would  have  to  walk  to  Central 
Park.  In  other  words,  you  would  have  to  cover  the  ground 
that  is  nearest  to  you.  Now,  in  the  work  you  say  you  would 
like  to  do,  you've  also  got  to  cover  the  ground  that's  nearest 
you.  Suppose  you  icere  going  to  save  somebody  and  you 
had  your  choice — whom  would  you  save?  Why,  the  people 
dearest  to  you.  You  would  save — little  Dick — eh? 

CLAYTON. 

[In  pain.']     Don't  talk  of  Dick. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I've  got  to  talk  of  him.  The  boy  isn't  getting  a  father's 
care. 

CLAYTON. 

You  advised  me  not  to  take  him. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  still  advise  that.  He  is  getting  a  mother's  care,  but  he 
needs  a  father's  also.  Now  suppose  you  could  save  little 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS 


201 


Dick.    The  next  dearest  person  to  you  would  be  his  mother, 
wouldn't  she? 

CLAYTON. 
She's  made  her  bed. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Yes,  but  after  you've  made  beds  there's  something  more 
to  do  than  lie  in  them.  After  a  reasonable  time  you  are  to 
get  up  and  get  out  of  them. 

CLAYTON. 
She's  all  right  —  free  to  do  as  she  likes. 


No,  she  isn't.  She's  a  slave  to  her  remorse  —  she's  looking 
back.  She  can't  realize  that  yesterday  is  yesterday  and  that 
a  dead  yesterday  is  just  as  dead  as  Babylon.  Now,  you 
want  work  to  do  —  why  not  do  that? 

CLAYTON. 
Overlook  what  she's  done? 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Yes  —  overlook  what  she's  done.  She  wasn't  perfect  — 
nobody  is.  She  makes  one  mistake  —  with  you  it's  final. 
You  don't  judge  anyone  else  that  way.  I've  seen  you  throw- 
ing little  Dick  the  baseball  teaching  him  to  hold  it  and  not 
to  break  his  chubby  fingers  —  standing  two  yards  from  him 
—  drop  and  drop  and  drop  it.  You  didn't  get  tired  —  you 
were  developing  the  boy.  Now  the  assumption  is  that 
Elinor  came  to  you  with  her  character  fully  developed; 
but  my  dear  old  friend,  character  never  stops  developing 


202  AS    A     MAN     THINKS 

if   we  are  in  the  right  line.     There's  still  the  perfecting  of 
a  fine  woman.     You  want  something  to  do — do  that. 

CLAYTON. 

All  right — Tell  her. —  [Pause.]  I  forgive  her.  [Pause.] 
but  that  I'm  through  with  it  just  the  same. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I'll  not  caTy  lies  to  her.  If  you  forgive  her  you'll  go 
where  she  is — you'll  go  looking  forward  and  not  backward 
— [CLAYTON  shakes  head,  pause — SEELIG  regards  watch.] 
I  hate  to  leave  you  in  this  mood,  Frank. 

CLAYTON. 

I'll— be  all  right. 

SEELIG. 

Why  not  get  in  the  machine  and  take  a  run  through  the 
Park — only  a  half  hour — because  I  must  get  back  to  the 
hospital. 

CLAYTON. 

[Paute.]  You  won't  try  any  snap  judgment  on  me — no 
driving  up  to  your  door  and  making  a  scene  of  it? 

SEELIG. 
Chauffeur  will  take  your  order. 

[Pause.  CLAYTON  begins  to  put  on  his  shoes.   SEE- 
LIG goes  to  the  telephone. 

CLAYTON, 

What  are  you  doing? 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  203 

SEELIG. 

I  can't  be  home  to  dinner.  ['Phones.] Yes — operator. 
Give  me  319  Plaza — Plaza — yes. 

CLAYTON. 

I  think — [Pause.'}  Mrs.  Seelig  was  here;  just  before 
you  came — 

SEELIG. 
Yes? 

CLAYTON. 
[Pause.]     They  expect  you  at  dinner. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Phoning.]  Holland?  [Pause.]  This  is  Doctor — I'll 
speak  to  Mrs.  Seelig — [Speaks  to  CLAYTON.]  What  did 
she  want? 

CLAYTON. 
Oh — Dick's  Christmas  principally. 

SEELIG. 

That  reminds  me — I  told  Dick  I'd  see  you  [Phones.] 
Hello? — yes  Sarah?  I  can't  get  home  to  dinner  dear — 
[Pause.]  No — impossible.  [Pause.]  I'm  at  Frank  Clay- 
ton's—  [Pause.]  Nothing — that  is,  nothing  serious.  He's 
going  out  with  me — just  to  get  the  air,  that's  all.  What's 
that?  [Pause.]  Yes,  I'll  speak  to  her. 

CLAYTON. 
Speak  to  whom? 


204  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

SEELIG. 

[Speaking  to  CLAYTON.]  Mrs.  Seelig  wants  to  know  if 
I  won't  speak  to  your  wife.  [Phones.]  Hello — that  you, 
Elinor?  [Pause.]  Yes — he's  all  right — perfectly.  [Pause.] 
Not  yet,  but  we're  going  out — in  the  car — I'll  give  it  to  him. 

CLAYTON. 
Give  what? 

SEELIG. 

Just  a  minute.  [Turns  to  CLAYTON  who  is  putting  on  his 
coat.]  It  was  a  Christmas  gift — from  little  Dick — he  asked 
me  to  bring  it  here. 

CLAYTON. 

What  is  it? 

[SEELIG  takes  small  package  from  his  pocJeet  and 
hands  it  to  CLAYTON.  As  CLAYTON  opens  pack- 
age SEELIG  turns  attention  to  'phone  again. 

SEELIG. 

Yes,  I'm  still  here — yes.  [Listens  in  silence  as  CLAY- 
TON undoes  the  package  which  contains  a  photograph  in  a 
leather  case.  CLAYTON  bends  over  it,  deeply  moved.]  Yes 
— yes — very  well — thank  you — good  night. 

CLAYTON. 

[Quickly.]     Wait. 

SEELIG. 

[Startled  by  loudness  of  CLAYTON'S  call.]  Wait.  [Laughs 
and  explains.]  I  said  wait  a  minute. 

CLAYTON. 
She  at  that  'phone? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  205 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Yes. 

CLAYTON. 

[Angrily.]  Let  me  have  it — there  are  a  few  things  I 
want  to  say  to  her. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
[Protesting.]     Not  in  that  mood,  Frank. 

CLAYTON. 

It's  all  a  frame  up  to  torture  me.  [Takes  'phone — speaks 
angrily.]  Hello!  [Anger  goes  from  his  face — whole  man- 
ner changes — tone  becomes  gentle  and  affectionate.]  Dick, 
that  you,  Dick?  [Pause.]  Yes,  I  hear  you — [Pause.]  I 
got  it,  my  boy,  thank  you — [Pause.]  You  bet  I  like  it — 
[Pause.]The  tree?  [Pause.]  Yes,  by  the  big  fireplace— 
[Pause.]  To-night?  Well—  [Pause.]  Then— [Pause  and 
effort.]  Tell  her  to  come — with  you! 

[Drops  'phone  on  table,  receiver  hanging  towards 
the  floor.  Sinks  into  chair  face  down  on  elbow 
sobbing.  SEELIG  walks  to  'phone,  hangs  up  re- 
ceiver. CLAYTON  reaches  out  his  right  hand 
blindly.  SEELIG  takes  it — holds  it  reassuringly 
and  firmly.  Gives  CLAYTON  a  tonic  slap  on 
bade  and  helps  him  rise.  CLAYTON  walks  back 
to  chair  facing  the  fire. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

[Solemnly.]  Frank!  There  is  one  moment  in  a  woman's 
life — dazed  by  chloroform — wrung  with  pain — when  her 
physician  hears  her  speak  the  name  of  the  man  for  whom 
she  suffers.  [Pause.]  Ever^  vestage  of  that  doubt  you 
uttered  in  my  library  must  be  efiaced  from  your  heart. 
[Rings  push  button. 


206  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

CLAYTON. 

I  didn't — invent  the  doubt. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

I  know. 

CLAYTON. 

I  think—  [Pause.]  I  hope  to  God  I'll  get  rid  of  it— in 
time. 

S  EE  LIG. 

It  mustn't  mar  this  reunion.  [Pause.]  When  I  started 
for  this  house — I  hoped — for  wh.it  has  occurred.  [Indi- 
cates 'phone.]  I  didn't  know  just  how  it  would  come  about 
—but  I  knew — that  doubt  had  to  be  removed. 

CLAYTON. 

I  don't  want  to  think  of  it. 
[Enter  SUTTON. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[To  SUTTON.]    A  gentleman  is  outside  in  a  cab,  just  be- 
hind my  car?     Ask  him  to  come  in. 
[SUTTON  goes. 

CLAYTON. 
[Quickly  turning.]     Who  is  it?     [Pause.]  Who? 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
I  want  you  to  be  calm  Frank. 

CLAYTON. 
Who?? 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  207 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Calmly.']     The  one  you  hate. 

CLAYTON. 
No !     By  God,  no !     [Start*  toward  the  hall. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Interposing  and  catching  him.]  Frank — if  you  had  to 
go  under  the  knife  you'd  trust  me  as  a  surgeon,  wouldn't 
you? 

CLAYTON. 

[Struggling  to  free  himself.']  You're  bungling  this  job. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 

[Still  holding  CLAYTON.]   I'm  not  bungling  it. 
[Enter  DE  LOTA. 

CLAYTON. 
Don't  come  in  here. 

D  E  LOTA. 
Mr.  Clayton — 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Between  the  two  men.]  Speak  only  when  I  bid  you — 
[Pause.  To  CLAYTON.]  Now  listen!  [To  DE  LOTA.] 
Before  Mr.  Clayton  introduced  you  to  Mrs.  Clayton  a  year 
ago — when  had  you  last  seen  her? 

D  E  LOTA. 
About  eight  years  before. 


208  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

S  E  E  !L  I  G. 

That  is  nine  years  ago. 

D  E  LOTA. 

Nine  years  ago. 

CLAYTON. 

What's  one  lie  more  or  less. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

Where  were  you  eight  years  ago? 

DE  LOTA. 
In  France. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Sternly.]  Where! 

D  E  LOTA. 
[Pause.]     The  prison  de  La  Sante,  in  Paris. 

S  E  E  I,  i  G. 
For  how  long  a  term? 

DE  LOTA. 
One  year. 

S  £  E  L  I  G. 

I  asked  you  to  bring  your  prison  paper  of  discharge. 
[DE  LOTA  hands  paper  to  SEELIG.  SEELIG  regards  paper 
and  displays  it  to  CLAYTON.]  You  read  French — numerals 
at  least.  The  date  is  there. 


AS    A    MAN     THINKS  209 

CLAYTON. 
[After  a  glance.]     Well? 

SEELIG. 

Also  Mr.  Burrill  was  in  the  court-room  when  Mr.  De 
Lota  was  sentenced.  [Pause.]  To  show  this  paper,  to  ad- 
mit in  your  hearing — this  fact  has  not  been  an  easy  thing 
for  Benjamin  De  Lota  to  do.  He  does  it  at  my  urging — 
the  appeal  of  one  Jew — to  another  Jew.  He  is  going — he 
lives  by  writing  criticism.  His  signature  to  an  article  has 
a  money  value — and  despite  these  personal  mistakes,  I  be- 
lieve his  influence  in  print  is  wholesome.  He  leaves  your 
magazines.  Of  course,  he  can't  expect  their  recommenda- 
tion, but  I  have  promised  him — your  silence. 

CLAYTON. 

[Pause.]     I  shan't — [Pause.]     Interfere. 
[SEELIG  turns — DE  LOTA  goes. 

SEELIG. 

[Hand  on  CLAYTON'S  shoulder.]  I'm  proud  of  you — 
[Pause.]  Now  forgive  an  old  practitioner  who  knew  he  had 
to  cauterize  quickly. 

CLAYTON. 
You're — a  friend  all  right.     [Pause.]     Prison! 

SEELIG. 
That  year. 

CLAYTON. 

And  I  made  that  rotten  accusation.  What  a  brute  I've 
been ! 


210  AS    A     MAN     THINKS 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

My  dear  Frank,  that  also  is  yesterday.      [Pause   and 
change  of  manner.]     Dick  is  coming  to-night? 

CLAYTON. 
Yes. 

S  E  E  1,  I  G. 

And  his  mother — [CLAYTON  nods.]     I'll  leave  you  alone. 

CLAYTON. 
I'd  rather  you  were  here. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
I'll  wait  as  long  as  I  can.     [Consults  watch. 

CLAYTON. 

[Seated  on  couch.]     There's  some  troubling  news  for  you. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

For  me? 

CLAYTON. 
[Nodding.]    I'd  like  to  cushion  it  if  I  could. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
You  mean  bad  news ! 

CLAYTON. 
Depends. 

S  E  E  L  i  G. 
[Pause.]     Well— 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  211 

CLAYTON. 

[Carefully,]      You   know   that — Vedah — rather    fancied 
Burrill,  don't  you? 

SEELIG. 
Yes. 

CLAYTON. 

Burrill  is  sailing  in  a  day  or  two — and — 

SEELIG. 
[Pause.]     Well? 

CLAYTON. 

Well— they've  been—  [Pause. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

[Calmly.]     Married? 

CLAYTON. 
To-day. 

[SEELIG  nods  ruminatively. 

[Enter  DICK.]      [MRS.   SEELIG  and  ELINOR  appear  in 
arch. 

DICK. 

[Running  to  CLAYTON.]  Papa! 

CLAYTON. 
Why,  Dick  boy! 

[Embraces    him.      ELINOR   goes   into    the    music 
room.    MRS.  SEELIG  comes  down. 

DICK. 

[To  SEELIG.]  Did  you  give  it  to  him? 

SEELIG. 
[Still  brooding.]     Yes. 


212  AS    A    MAN    THINKS 

DICK. 
[To  CLAYTON.]  You  like  it? 

CLAYTON. 

You  bet  I  liked  it.  [DicK  laughs — CLAYTON  leading 
DICK  toward  the  music  room  speaks  to  MRS.  SEELIO.]  I 
told  the  Doctor. 

MRS.    SEELIG. 
You  mean — ? 

CLAYTON. 

Vedah  and  Burrill. 

[Goes  with  DICK  into  music  room. 

M  E  s.    SEELIG. 
[Coming  to  SEELIG'S  side.]  Samuel. 

SEELIG. 
[Paute.~\  You  knew  it? 

MBS.    SEELIG. 

I  had  no  idea  of  it — but  he  has  to  cross  the  ocean.  They 
love  each  other — Vedah  was  almost  broken-hearted.  We 
wanted  Vedah  to  sacrifice  her  life  to  teach  the  idea  of  one 
God — but  Samuel — [Pause.  Puts  hand  on  SEELIG'S  arm. 

SEELIG. 
Well? 

MBS.    SEELIG. 

The  one  God  was  wiser  than  my  father,  who  was  a  Rabbi. 
He  may  be  wiser  than  we  are.  [Pause — SEELIO  gently  lifts 


AS    A    MAN    THINKS  213 

her  hand  and  kisses  it.  Pause.]  Samuel — they're  at  home. 
Come  forgive  them  and  let's  be  happy  at  dinner.  [SEELIG 
shakes  head.]  You  mean  you  won't  forgive  them? 

S  E  E  i,  i  G. 

[Pause.]  I  mean  only  that  I  can't  come  to  dinner.  There 
is  a  surgery  case  at  the  hospital. 

MBS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 

[Pleading.]     Let  someone  else. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 
[Shaking  head.]     Too  important. 

MBS.    S  E  E  L  i  G. 

Who  is  it? 

S  E  E  1, 1  G. 

A  little  boy  from  the  East  Side.  I  don't  remember  his 
name,  but  the  appointment  is  for  eight  thirty.  [Mas.  SEE- 
LIG  leaves  his  side. 

[ELINOR  enters,  CLAYTON  and  DICK  appear  in 
doorway  after  her.  ELINOR  comes  down  to 
SEELIG. 

S  E  E  L  I  G. 

It's  all  right? 

[ELINOR  nods  yes— takes  SEELIG'S  face  in  both 
hands  and  kisses  him. 

DICK. 
[To  CLAYTON  in  childish  treble.]     She  kissed  him— 

CURTAIN. 


L  006  332  092  3 


